Innledning

Twenty-first century occupational therapyThis chapter begins with an account of the development of occupational therapy since its foundation at the beginning of the twentieth century, highlighting the profession's dual epistemology of pragmatism and structuralism.It describes how this duality enables a two-body practice in which the occupational therapist works with both the body as machine and the lived body.In the twenty-first century, changing patterns of disease, disability, and occupational need require occupational therapists to apply their knowledge and skills in new areas of practice and innovative ways.The argument is made that the profession of occupational therapy needs to develop a political dimension, rooted in concepts of human rights and social justice, and to adopt new modes of collaborative reasoning, if it is to remain relevant and useful to the everyday lives and needs of people around the world.