Occupational therapy and ideology: a critical investigation

English: Occupational Therapy’s (henceforth referred to as OT) self-concept apparently remains, for all practical purposes, not well defined. While the complexity of the OT profession’s definition and their subsequent difficulty of articulating this might point to the very unique character of the OT profession, it does not follow from this that its future relevancy is therefore ensured. It is furthermore contended that due to the ongoing self-definition of the profession, there is a globally increased focus on occupational therapy’s values and philosophy about our relationships with not only those to whom we render a service, but also the environmental realities we form part of. An inevitable link is indicated between critical reflection in OT practice, and the profession’s identity. While research on reflexive practice may be associated with the critical theoretical framework or critical social theory, this type of research in OT appears to be relatively scarce, and is mostly associated with research topics pertaining to clinical reasoning. In order to explore one possible path through these complex problems, this study turns to the core field of philosophy, which is that discipline that studies essentially the foundations of disciplines (among other things). The present study will avail itself of a specific philosophical and sociological tool namely ideology theory. Currently, little or nothing is known about the presence of specific ideologies in the field of OT. Ideology theory is closely related to critique and self-reflection. The main aim of this study is to perform a critical analysis of the presence of ideology in the profession of OT, by applying a three-dimensional ideology analysis. In order to meet this aim, an innovative approach had to be followed during which a unique methodology is argued. This study is subsequently typified as a (so-called) non-empirical type of research, based on a critical theoretical framework, using philosophical analysis as a study design, specifically applying ideology critique as a method of analysis. In accordance with existing approaches in ideology theory, this study focuses on three levels of analysis in its own model of ideology critique: the sociohistorical analysis of concrete contexts of domination (Chapters 2 & 3 and 5) the formal-structural analysis of the theory (model) of ideology critique that is used (Chapter 4), and finally, a creative end-interpretation of these analyses (Epilogue) with suggested perspectives for the ‘de-idolized’ future of OT. The ideology critique model (Ideology Typography of Modernity or ITM) applied in this study revealed a systematic identification of ideologies that are present in the OT profession. These analyses show that ideology critique may serve as a methodical tool for critical self-reflection, offering a limited but penetrating perspective on the ‘deep structure’ of OT discourse.