Is there a place for role theory in occupational science?

Abstract

This article, the second in a two‐part series, builds upon Contemporary Criticisms of Role Theory. The usefulness of role theory for occupational science is questioned through examining the compatibility between role theory and the underlying assumptions of occupational science. It is suggested that whereas role was an organizing structure in occupational behavior, upon which occupational scientists at University of Southern California drew their initial concepts, occupation has become the focus of concern in occupational science. DeVault's study, Feeding the Family, is used to explicate the depth of information one can gather when using an occupation‐centered analysis. Such insights include the diverse ways people enact and infuse meaning into their occupations; how race, class, age, ethnicity, and sexual orientation contribute to the form, process, context, and meaning of occupation; the influences of local and global environments depicted in policies and ideologies about occupations; and the negotiation processes by which people shift their personal desires and redefine social ideologies through daily practices.

Keywords:

• Occupational analysis
• Theory development