Linking Occupation and Identity: Lessons Learned Through Qualitative Exploration

Abstract

This article addresses the relationship between occupation, defined as everyday tasks and activities in which people are actively engaged, and identity, defined as how people view themselves and are viewed by others, by presenting the results of a secondary analysis of data drawn from three qualitative studies. This secondary analysis is focussed on gaining an understanding of the ways in which informants experienced and described the links between occupation and identity. While these studies were conducted with different types of informants and had different research objectives, five common themes relevant to the links between occupation and identity emerged: demonstrating core characteristics; limiting and expanding possibilities; maintaining an acceptable self‐identity; managing social identity; and control as an essential condition. These themes and their implications for the conceptualisation of the interrelationship between occupation and identity are the foci of this article.

Key words:

• Occupation
• Identity
• Qualitative research