Occupational Justice: A Conceptual Review

Abstract

This paper, the first of two examining the concept of occupational justice, presents the findings of a scoping review of how occupational justice and its associated concepts (occupational deprivation, marginalization, alienation, imbalance or apartheid) have been conceptualized. Its purpose is to examine potential avenues and barriers for development and application of these concepts. The results indicate that perspectives on occupational justice emphasize individuals' unique sets of occupational needs and capacities within particular environments. Based on the idea that participation in occupation can affect health, occupational justice is underpinned by a belief in the right to engage in diverse and meaningful occupations to meet people's individual needs and develop their potential. In the literature, barriers to engagement in meaningful occupation are considered injustices. One impediment to enabling occupational justice in practice is the lack of conceptual clarity about occupational justice and its related terms. Before an occupationally just perspective can be further developed and utilised, the conceptual basis of occupational justice needs to be clarified and models for occupationally just practice need to be further developed.