The Emergence of Occupational Science in Austria: An Insider Perspective

Abstract

Occupational science has been discussed in terms of its relation to occupational therapy, its philosophical and theoretical foundations, and its international and interdisciplinary character over the past years. The disciplinary identity of occupational science in non-English speaking countries has not yet been debated in the literature. The aim of this article is to discuss occupational science as an emergent discipline in Austria, a German-speaking country. The discussion is divided into two parts. In the first part we engage in critical reflexivity to explicate the current development of occupational science in Austria by reviewing the disciplinary and historical context of occupational science and the related profession of occupational therapy, the educational and institutional influences as well as the influence of language. In the second part, we illustrate that occupational science is an emerging discipline in Austria by drawing on an ongoing research project: the Gender, Occupational Balance, and Immunology Study. By making explicit how occupational science has emerged, from our insider perspective, we aim to contribute to the further development of the disciplinary identity of occupational science nationally and internationally.

Keywords:

• Critical reflexivity
• Knowledge generation
• Occupational balance
• Occupational science

Acknowledgements

Earlier drafts of the paper were discussed in an advanced occupational science course at the University of Applied Sciences in Vienna, Austria. The authors would like to acknowledge the lively discussions amongst students, which enriched this article. The first author would also like to acknowledge faculty and students of the Field of Occupational Science at The University of Western Ontario that have significantly influenced her disciplinary identity. Furthermore we acknowledge the international collaboration with occupational scientists from the Karolinska Institute (Sweden) and the University of Brighton (UK) in the GOBI-study.