Critical reflections on occupational justice: Toward a rights-based approach to occupational opportunities

Abstract

French

Background.

Occupational justice is cited throughout the occupational science and occupational therapy literatures despite little scholarly attention either to its definition or to how situations of occupational justice are identifiable.

Purpose.

This paper aims to contribute a critique of occupational justice, explore the concepts of justice and (occupational) rights, and support a capabilities approach to inform rights-based occupational therapy practices.

Key Issues.

No clear definition of occupational justice or differentiation from social justice exists despite the longevity of the concept, and theorists frequently confuse the concepts of justice and rights. A rights-based focus provides an unambiguous mandate for occupational therapists, with the capabilities approach offering a cross-disciplinary framework to inform rights-based practices.

Implications.

The concept of occupational rights is consistent with the rights-based focus advocated by the disabled people’s movement, articulated by the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, and affirmed by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists’ position on the centrality of occupation to health, well-being, and human rights.

Keywords

Capabilities Critical Human rights Theory Well-being

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

American Occupational Therapy Association. (2011). The philosophical base of occupational therapy. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 65(Suppl.), S65. doi:10.5014/ajot.2011.65S65

Arias

Pérez

(2015a, 5 19). In Cameroon, a school helps to integrate disabled children into society. Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/may/19/cameroon-promhandicam

Arias

Pérez

(2015b, 6 12). “In the classroom, we are all equal.” Guardian Weekly, p. 33.

Bailliard

(2013). Laying low: Fear and injustice for Latino migrants to Smalltown, USA. Journal of Occupational Science, 20, 342–356. doi:10.1080/1442759114

Bailliard

(2016). Justice, difference, and the capability to function. Journal of Occupational Science, 23, 3–16. doi:10.1080/14427591.2014.957886

Bakhshi

Trani

J. F.

(n.d.). The capability approach to understanding disability: Increasing comparability, defining efficient programs. Retrieved from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lc-ccrstaff/jean-francois-trani/BakhshiTraniAFD060306.pdf

Barnartt

(2001). Using role theory to describe disability. Research in Social Science and Disability, 2, 53–75. doi:10.1016/S1479-3547(01)80020-8

Braveman

Bass-Hagen

J. D.

(2009). Social justice and health disparities: An evolving discourse in occupational therapy research and intervention. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63, 7–12. doi:10.5014/ajot.63.1.7

Canadian Nurses Association. (2009). Ethics in practice: Social justice in practice. Ottawa, ON: Author.

10.

Chang

H. J.

(2007). The bad Samaritans: Rich nations, poor policies and the threat to the developing world. London, UK: Random House.

11.

Curtin

Hammell

K. W.

(2006). People with multiple sclerosis and severe spasticity found tilt-in-space wheelchairs more comfortable than conventional wheelchairs. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 53, 52–54. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1630.2006.00549x

12.

Dubois

J.-L.

Trani

J.-F.

(2009). Extending the capability paradigm to address the complexity of disability. ALTER: European Journal of Disability Research, 3,192–218. doi:10.1016/j.alter.2009.04.003

13.

Durocher

Gibson

B. E.

Rappolt

(2014). Occupational justice: A conceptual review. Journal of Occupational Science, 21, 418–430. doi:10.1080/14427591.2013.775692

14.

Durocher

Rappolt

Gibson

B. E.

(2014). Occupational justice: Future directions. Journal of Occupational Science, 21, 431–442. doi:10.1080/14427591.2013.775693

15.

Driedger

(1989) The last civil rights movement: Disabled Peoples’ International. London, UK: Hurst.

16.

Edwards

Delany

C. M.

Townsend

A. F.

Swisher

L. L.

(2011). New perspectives on the theory of justice: Implications for physical therapy ethics and clinical practice. Physical Therapy, 91, 1642–1652. doi:10.2522/ptj.20100351.10

17.

Flew

(1979). A dictionary of philosophy. London, UK: Pan.

18.

Foucault

(1997). What is critique? In Lorringer

Hockoth

(Eds.), The politics of truth (pp. 41–82). New York, NY: Semiotexte.

19.

Frank

(2012). The 2010 Ruth Zemke Lecture in Occupational Science: Occupational therapy/occupational science/occupational justice. Moral commitments and global assemblages. Journal of Occupational Science, 19, 25–35. doi:10.1080/14427591.2011.607792

20.

Frohlich

K. L.

Abel

(2014). Environmental justice and health practices: Understanding how health inequities arise at the local level. Sociology of Health and Illness, 36, 199–212. doi:10.1111/1467-9566.12126

21.

Gerlach

A. J.

(2015). Sharpening our critical edge: Occupational therapy in the context of marginalized populations. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 82, 245–253. doi:10.1177/0008417415571730

22.

Goffman

(1959). Presentation of self in everyday life. London, UK: Penguin.

23.

Graham

Moodley

Selipsky

(2013). The disability-poverty nexus and the case for a capability approach: Evidence from Johannesburg, South Africa. Disability and Society, 28, 324–337. doi:10.1080/09687599.2012.710011

24.

Groce

N. E.

Trani

J.-F.

(2009) Millennium Development Goals and people with disabilities. Lancet, 374, 1800–1801. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61909-7

25.

Gupta

Taff

S. D.

(2015). The illusion of client-centred practice. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 22, 244–251. doi:10.3109/11038128.2015.1020866

26.

Hammell

K. W.

(2007). Client-centred practice: Ethical obligation or professional obfuscation? British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 70, 264–266. doi:10.1177/030802260707000607

27.

Hammell

K. W.

(2008). Reflections on…well-being and occupational rights. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75, 61–64. doi:10.2182/cjot.07.007

28.

Hammell

K. W.

(2015a). Occupational rights and critical occupational therapy: Rising to the challenge. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. Advance online publication. doi:10.1111/1440-1630.12195

29.

Hammell

K. W.

(2015b). Participation and occupation: The need for a human rights perspective. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 82, 4–8. doi:10.1177/0008417414567636

30.

Hammell

K. W.

(2015c). Quality of life, participation and occupational rights: A capabilities perspective. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 62, 78–85. doi:10.111/1440-1630.12183

31.

Hammell

K. W.

(2015d). Respecting global wisdom: Enhancing the cultural relevance of occupational therapy’s theoretical base. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78, 718–721. doi:10.1177/0308022614564170

32.

Hammell

K. W.

Beagan

(2016). Occupational injustice: A critique. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0008417416638858

33.

Hammell

K. W.

Iwama

M. K.

(2012). Well-being and occupational rights: An imperative for critical occupational therapy. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 19, 385–394. doi:10.3109/11038128.2011.611821

34.

Hasselkus

B. R.

(2004). Foreword. In Watson

Swartz

(Eds.), Transformation through occupation (pp. xiii–xv). London, UK: Whurr.

35.

Hocking

(2012a). Occupational science. In Gellman

M. D.

Turner

J. R.

(Eds.), Encyclopedia of behavioral medicine (pp. 1365–1370). New York, NY: Springer.

36.

Hocking

(2012b). Occupations through the looking glass: Reflecting on occupational scientists’ ontological assumptions. In Whiteford

G. E.

Hocking

(Eds.), Occupational science: Society, inclusion, participation (pp. 54–66). Oxford, UK: Wiley Blackwell.

37.

Honderich

(1995). The Oxford companion to philosophy. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

38.

Ife

(2008). Human rights and social work: Towards rights-based practice. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

39.

Iriarte

E. G.

McConkey

Gilligan

(2016). Disability and human rights: Global perspectives. In Iriarte

E. G.

McConkey

Gilligan

(Eds.), Disability and human rights: Global perspectives (pp. 1–9). London, UK: Palgrave.

40.

Kallen

(2004). Social inequality and social injustice: A human rights perspective. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

41.

Kirkham

S. R.

Browne

A. J.

(2006). Toward a critical theoretical interpretation of social justice discourses in nursing. Advances in Nursing Science, 29, 324–339.

42.

London

(2008). Human rights: A professional responsibility and an institutional obligation. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 38, 1.

43.

MacLachlan

Mannan

McVeigh

(2016). Disability and inclusive health. In Iriarte

E. G.

McConkey

Gilligan

(Eds.), Disability and human rights: Global perspectives (pp. 150–172). London, UK: Palgrave.

44.

Malinga

J. T.

Gumbo

(2016). Advocacy and lobbying: The road map from charity to human rights. In Iriarte

E. G.

McConkey

Gilligan

(Eds.), Disability and human rights: Global perspectives (pp. 49–67). London, UK: Palgrave.

45.

Mann

J. M.

Gostin

Gruskin

Brennan

Lazzarini

Fineberg

H. V.

(1994). Health and human rights. Health and Human Rights, 1, 6–23.

46.

Marmot

Allen

Bell

Bloomer

Goldblatt

, & Consortium for the European Review of Social Determinants of Health and the Health Divide. (2012). WHO European review of social determinants of health and the health divide. Lancet, 380, 1011–1029. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61228-8

47.

Martinez

D. B.

Fleck-Henderson

(2014). Social justice in clinical practice: A liberation health framework for social work. London, UK: Routledge.

48.

Mitra

(2006). The capability approach and disability. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 16, 236–247.

49.

Mousavi

Forwell

Dharamsi

Dean

(2015). Do Nussbaum’s ten central human functional capabilities extend occupational therapy’s construct of occupation? A narrative review. New Zealand Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62, 21–27.

50.

Murumba

S. K.

(1998). Cross-cultural dimensions of human rights in the twenty-first century. In Anghie

Sturgess

(Eds.), Legal visions of the twenty-first century (pp. 201–240). London, UK: Kluwer Law International.

51.

Nilsson

Townsend

(2010). Occupational justice: Bridging theory and practice. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 17, 57–63. doi:10.3109/11038120903287182

52.

Nipperess

Briskman

(2009). Promoting a human rights perspective on critical social work. In Allan

Briskman

Pease

(Eds.), Critical social work: Theories and practices for a socially just world (2nd ed., pp. 58–69). Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin.

53.

Nussbaum

(2006). Frontiers of justice: Disability, nationality, species membership. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

54.

Nussbaum

(2011). Creating capabilities: The human development approach. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

55.

Officer

Groce

N. E.

(2009). Key concepts in disability. Lancet, 374, 1795–1796. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61527-0

56.

Robeyns

(2005). The capability approach: A theoretical survey. Journal of Human Development, 6, 93–114. doi:10.1080/146498805200034266

57.

Rogers

L. J

Swadener

B. B.

(2001). Semiotics and dis/ability: Interrogating categories of difference. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

58.

Saleeby

(1994). Culture, theory and narrative: The intersection of meanings in practice. Social Work, 39, 351–359.

59.

Sen

(1985). Commodities and capabilities. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

60.

Sen

(1995). Inequality re-examined. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

61.

Sen

(1997, 7 14 and 21). Human rights and Asian values. New Republic, pp. 33–40.

62.

Sen

(1999). Development as freedom. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

63.

Sen

(2005). Human rights and capabilities. Journal of Human Development, 6, 151–166. doi:10.1080/14649880500120491

64.

Sen

(2010, 4 2). Contracts don’t add up to real life. Guardian Weekly, p. 19.

65.

Sherry

(2010). Culture and cultural competence for occupational therapists in Africa. In Alers

Couch

(Eds.), Occupational therapy: An African perspective (pp. 60–77). Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa: Sarah Shorten.

66.

Skempes

Bickenbach

(2015). Strengthening rehabilitation for people with disabilities. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 94, 823–828. doi:10.1097/PHM.0000000000000326

67.

Stadnyk

(2007). Occupational justice and injustice from the perspective of Robin Stadnyk. In Townsend

E. A.

Polatajko

H. J.

, Enabling occupation II: Advancing an occupational therapy vision for health, well-being, & justice through occupation (pp. 80–82). Ottawa, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.

68.

Stadnyk

Townsend

Wilcock

(2010). Occupational justice. In Christiansen

C. H.

Townsend

E. A.

(Eds.), Introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (2nd ed., pp. 329–358). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

69.

Steger

M. B.

Roy

R. K.

(2010). Neoliberalism. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

70.

Stein

M. A.

Stein

P. J.

Weiss

Lang

(2009). Health care and the UN Disability Rights Convention. Lancet, 374, 1796–1797. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)62033-x

71.

Stewart

(2005). Groups and capabilities. Journal of Human Development, 6, 185–204. doi:10.1080/14649880500120517

72.

Terzi

(2005). A capability perspective on impairment, disability and special needs. Towards social justice in education. Theory and Research in Education, 3, 197–223. doi:10.1177/1477878505053302

73.

Townsend

E. A.

(2012). Boundaries and bridges to adult mental health: Critical occupational and capabilities perspectives of justice. Journal of Occupational Science, 19, 8–24. doi:10.1080/14427591.2011.639723

74.

Townsend

Marval

(2013). Can professionals actually enable occupational justice? Cadernos de terapia occupational da Universidade Federal de São Carlos, 21, 215–228. doi:10.432/cto.2013.025

75.

Townsend

Wilcock

(2004a). Occupational justice. In Christiansen

C. H.

Townsend

E. A.

(Eds.), An introduction to occupation: The art and science of living (pp. 243–273). Thorofare, NJ: Prentice Hall.

76.

Townsend

Wilcock

(2004b). Occupational justice and client-centred practice: A dialogue in progress. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71, 75–87. doi:10.1177/000841740407100203

77.

Trani

J.-F.

Bakhshi

Noor

A. A.

Mashkoor

(2009). Lack of a will or of a way? Taking a capability approach for analysing disability policy shortcomings and ensuring programme impact in Afghanistan. European Journal of Development Research, 21, 297–319. doi:10.1057/ejdr.2009.8

78.

Trani

J.-F.

Bakhshi

Rolland

(2011). Capabilities, perception of well-being and development effort: Some evidence from Afghanistan. Oxford Development Studies, 39, 403–426. doi:10.1080/13600818.2011.620089

79.

United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. Vienna, Austria: Author.

80.

Venkatapuram

(2011). Health justice. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

81.

Whiteford

(2014). Enacting occupational justice in research and policy development. In Pierce

(Ed.), Occupational science for occupational therapy (pp.169–178). Thorofare, NJ: Slack.

82.

Whiteford

Townsend

E. A.

(2011). Participatory Occupational Justice Framework: Enabling occupational participation and inclusion. In Kronenberg

Pollard

Sakellariou

(Eds.), Occupational therapists without borders: Vol. 2. Toward an ecology of occupation-based practices (pp. 65–84). Edinburgh, UK: Elsevier.

83.

Wilcock

(1998). An occupational perspective of health. Thorofare, NJ: Slack.

84.

Wilcock

Townsend

(2000). Occupational justice: Occupational terminology interactive dialogue. Journal of Occupational Science, 7, 84–86. doi:10.1080/14427591.2000.9686470

85.

Wilcock

A. A.

Townsend

E. A.

(2014). Occupational justice. In Boyt Schell

B. A.

Gillen

Scaffa

(Eds.), Willard and Spackman’s occupational therapy (12th ed., pp. 541–552). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

86.

Wilkinson-Meyers

Brown

P. M.

McNeill

Reeve

Patston

Baker

(2015). To live an ordinary life: Resource needs and additional costs for people with a physical impairment. Disability and Society, 30, 976–990. doi:10.1080/09687599.2015.1061479

87.

World Federation of Occupational Therapists. (2006). Position Statement on Human Rights. Retrieved from www.wfot.org/office_files/Human%20Rights%20Position%20Statement%20Final.pdf

88.

Young

I. M.

(1990). Justice and the politics of difference. Princeton, NJ: University Press.