Reflections on the human as an occupational being: Biological need, tempo and temporality

Abstract

Global health through occupation is contingent upon our understanding of the human as an occupational being. In this paper, I reflect upon two aspects of the human as an occupational being: 1) the biological need for occupation, and 2) tempo and temporality as a way of beginning to generate a blueprint for global health. Wilcock's theory on the human need for occupation proposes that people living in post industrial nations are diverted from engagement in occupations that function to meet biological needs. The theory largely addresses the issue of what kinds of occupations are likely to be health promoting, given a set of assumptions about the history of humans as occupational beings. On the surface it would appear that occupations that resemble those of prehistoric men and women would be optimal for promoting health and well‐being, but these kinds of occupations are largely unsuitable for incorporation into contemporary lifestyles. Yet, there are elements of prehistoric occupations that can be recaptured in contemporary activity, and I speculate on the form such occupation might take as a way of addressing the general question of what kinds of occupations are likely to be health promoting. The beginning blueprint for global health through occupation must also take into account the nature of occupational beings in relation to tempo and temporality. I argue that there is an intersection between tempo and temporality. The tempo of occupation is simply defined as its pace and rhythm. Temporality, in contrast, has to do with how we understand occupation in relation to past, present, and future events. When life is rushed as it is in the fast lane of modernity, the result can be the forgetting‐of‐being, or stated otherwise, doing without being. I suggest that healthier people and a healthier world could result from a blueprint generated through occupational science research that identifies the patterns of occupation that are likely to be maximally health promoting and the pace at which they should be undertaken.