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Occupation for Health (vol. 1): A Journey from Self Health to Prescription
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Australian Occupational Therapy Journal (2003) 50, 113 –114 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Book Reviews Book Reviews Book Reviews Book Reviews QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: STRATEGIES AND EXPERIENCES Joanne Valiant Cook (2001), 250 pp., $70.40 Singular, London, UK This book, arising from a panel presentation at the 1998 Montreal World Federation of Occupational Therapy Conference, was written for novice therapists and occupa- tional therapy students. The editor, Joanne Valiant Cook, has compiled an overview of qualitative research strate- gies, personal accounts of conducting research and exam- ples of studies previously printed in occupational therapy journals. The book is divided into five parts. The introduction examines how qualitative research is compatible with the values and beliefs of occupational therapy. This is a minor feature of the book introducing the reader to the purposes and types of qualitative research available to occupational therapists. Part 2 has four introductory chapters on research strategies including participant action research, in-depth interviewing, participant observation and focus groups. Readers will appreciate the examples of interview guides and other documentation relevant to ethical research conduct. A chapter on participant observation includes examples of field notes and a step-by-step account of conducting participant observation that is valuable in de- mystifying the research process. In part 3, three occupational therapists describe their research experience as graduate students. Two further chapters examine how therapists developed graduate studies into a research program. These are interesting per- sonal accounts of designing, developing and conducting research projects and the setbacks and satisfaction that accompany research. The contributors relate how clinical interests and questions generated further research projects, and explain how they changed personally and professionally through doing research. The largest section of the book, reprints 12 articles, originally published between 1993 and 2000 in interna- tional referred journals. These qualitative studies focus on occupation, the practice of occupational therapy and clients’ subjective experience of illness and therapy. Many readers will appreciate this collection of articles reprinted in the one volume. There are some nice exam- ples here of how to report on qualitative research. For instance Rebeiro’s chapter: The labyrinth of community mental health: In search of meaningful occupation pro- vides a lucid account of the development of conceptual categories and the presentation of results and discussion. Further chapters provide excellent examples of how to present participant demographics, survey results and con- ceptual models. This is a valuable resource for researchers tackling the write up of theses or considering publication. A brief annotated bibliography concludes the book. Cook notes that contributors selected these books on the basis that they were instrumental in extending their knowledge and practice of qualitative research. This book invites students and novice researchers to explore the principles, design and conduct of qualitative research. It is very read- able, clearly structured and indexed, and is useful in encouraging occupational therapists to be researchers and develop their knowledge and skills in qualitative research. Linsey Howie Head, School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia June 2003 50 2 Book Review Book Reviews Book Reviews Book Reviews OCCUPATION FOR HEALTH (VOL. 1): A JOURNEY FROM SELF HEALTH TO PRESCRIPTION Ann Wilcock (2001), 583 pp., $113.15 British Association and College of Occupational Therapy, London, UK This is the first of two volumes devoted to occupa- tional therapy’s history. With the work having been commissioned by British occupational therapists, the book has a European flavour. ‘Using a critical and analytical history of ideas approach’ (p. 5), this volume delves far back in time to explore uses of occupation for health long before the twentieth century creation of occupa- tional therapy. The author expresses her belief in the importance of this undertaking for reasons such as the tendency to view the therapeutic use of occupation as a recent phenomenon, and a less-than-adequate recogni- tion of the value of therapeutic occupation in the current health care climate. Key words in the subtitle (namely
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Transcript of Occupation for Health (vol. 1): A Journey from Self Health to Prescription
Australian Occupational Therapy Journal (2003) 50, 113–114
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
B o o k R e v i e w s
Book ReviewsBook ReviewsBook ReviewsQUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY: STRATEGIES AND EXPERIENCES
Joanne Valiant Cook (2001), 250 pp., $70.40
Singular, London, UK
This book, arising from a panel presentation at the 1998Montreal World Federation of Occupational TherapyConference, was written for novice therapists and occupa-tional therapy students. The editor, Joanne Valiant Cook,has compiled an overview of qualitative research strate-gies, personal accounts of conducting research and exam-ples of studies previously printed in occupational therapyjournals.
The book is divided into five parts. The introductionexamines how qualitative research is compatible with thevalues and beliefs of occupational therapy. This is a minorfeature of the book introducing the reader to the purposesand types of qualitative research available to occupationaltherapists. Part 2 has four introductory chapters onresearch strategies including participant action research,in-depth interviewing, participant observation and focusgroups. Readers will appreciate the examples of interviewguides and other documentation relevant to ethical researchconduct. A chapter on participant observation includesexamples of field notes and a step-by-step account ofconducting participant observation that is valuable in de-mystifying the research process.
In part 3, three occupational therapists describe theirresearch experience as graduate students. Two furtherchapters examine how therapists developed graduatestudies into a research program. These are interesting per-sonal accounts of designing, developing and conductingresearch projects and the setbacks and satisfaction thataccompany research. The contributors relate how clinicalinterests and questions generated further researchprojects, and explain how they changed personally andprofessionally through doing research.
The largest section of the book, reprints 12 articles,originally published between 1993 and 2000 in interna-tional referred journals. These qualitative studies focuson occupation, the practice of occupational therapy andclients’ subjective experience of illness and therapy.Many readers will appreciate this collection of articlesreprinted in the one volume. There are some nice exam-
ples here of how to report on qualitative research. Forinstance Rebeiro’s chapter: The labyrinth of communitymental health: In search of meaningful occupation pro-vides a lucid account of the development of conceptualcategories and the presentation of results and discussion.Further chapters provide excellent examples of how topresent participant demographics, survey results and con-ceptual models. This is a valuable resource for researcherstackling the write up of theses or considering publication.
A brief annotated bibliography concludes the book. Cooknotes that contributors selected these books on the basisthat they were instrumental in extending their knowledgeand practice of qualitative research. This book invitesstudents and novice researchers to explore the principles,design and conduct of qualitative research. It is very read-able, clearly structured and indexed, and is useful inencouraging occupational therapists to be researchers anddevelop their knowledge and skills in qualitative research.
Linsey HowieHead, School of Occupational Therapy,
La Trobe University, Melbourne,
Victoria, AustraliaJune 2003502Book ReviewBook ReviewsBook ReviewsBook Reviews
OCCUPATION FOR HEALTH (VOL. 1): A JOURNEY FROM SELF HEALTH TO PRESCRIPTION
Ann Wilcock (2001), 583 pp., $113.15
British Association and College of Occupational Therapy,London, UK
This is the first of two volumes devoted to occupa-tional therapy’s history. With the work having beencommissioned by British occupational therapists, the bookhas a European flavour. ‘Using a critical and analyticalhistory of ideas approach’ (p. 5), this volume delves farback in time to explore uses of occupation for healthlong before the twentieth century creation of occupa-tional therapy. The author expresses her belief in theimportance of this undertaking for reasons such as thetendency to view the therapeutic use of occupation as arecent phenomenon, and a less-than-adequate recogni-tion of the value of therapeutic occupation in the currenthealth care climate. Key words in the subtitle (namely
114 Book Reviews
journey, self health, prescription) indicate the book’sintent to explore the historical progression of the use of‘doing’ in the context of increasingly formal and institu-tionalised approaches to health care; at the same time,they suggest the existence of ‘self-action for health res-toration and maintenance’ as a consistent theme acrosshuman history.
The volume is divided into four sections (a total of 12chapters), with each section examining the occupation-health nexus for a particular period of human history —spanning the primitive era, medieval times, the period ofthe enlightenment, and the industrial age. As such, thebook offers a compelling voyage across time, exploringthe evolution of societal beliefs and practices regardinghealth and occupation. Along the way, the author toucheson many points of interest including: the relationshipbetween organised religion, the development of Europeanscholarship, and the practice of medicine; the varied socialforces in Europe which, over time, gave rise to develop-ments in the care of people disadvantaged by poverty,
illness or disability; and the genesis of various philoso-phical movements identified as influential in what weknow today as occupational therapy.
The book is well researched and comprehensivelyreferenced. At the same time, the author’s easy writingstyle makes it eminently readable. The volume’s presenta-tion is enriched by many quotations and illustrations.The latter range from especially created frontispieces toreproductions of engravings and etchings, all of whichserve to delight the reader’s eye. Not only is this a finepiece of scholarship but also it is clearly a labour of loveby the author and several colleagues, one which scholarsand others curious about the history of occupation as ahealth-giving measure will want to have in their profes-sional libraries.
Michael LyonsAssociate Professor in Occupational Therapy,
Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle,
NSW, Australia
