Exploring Occupational Science in the Nordic region

Through the course, you will delve into central concepts in the field of occupational science by analyzing English theoretical concepts and corresponding concepts in your native language.

The central concepts in the course are occupation and activity, which will be studied in relation to health in a Nordic context. Here, a sustainable life from an occupational science perspective will be examined to understand how engagement in daily occupations supports health. You will do investigations in your home region and discuss with other students from the Nordic countries.

The purpose is to be able to identify unique phenomena in everyday life that occur and affect people's health to create a deeper understanding of (un)health in a Nordic context. You will also be able to communicate your results to various audiences and, in doing so, develop your ability to convey knowledge to others who are not experts in the field.

Placement

The course is offered as an independent course for a master's degree in the main field of occupational therapy.

Prerequisites

Admission to the course requires a bachelor's degree, 180 higher education credits or equivalent is required.

Content

• Central concepts in occupational science
• Occupational health
• Eco-ethical and glocal sustainable occupational life
• Occupational science as basic research and applied science

Learnings achievements /outcomes

• Knowledge and Understanding.
• Analyse and explain the meaning of activity and occupation in your native language with support from theoretical perspectives and research.
• Explain current research based on a chosen concept, phenomenon, or perspective within occupational science that describes the complexity of activity/occupation in relation to a Nordic region.
• Examine and reflect on what a sustainable lifestyle can mean in your culture/life context in relation to health and the environment from an occupational perspective at individual, group, and societal levels.

Skills and Abilities

• Search, analyse, evaluate, compile, and reference relevant scientific literature.
• Analyse theory, concepts, and the chosen conceptual model within occupational science.
• Identify, formulate, and problematize a question to understand the relationship between activity/occupation and health among people living in the Nordic countries.
• Distinguish the meaning of engagement in everyday activities for people/populations in your local area/surroundings and discuss the results in relation to the basic assumptions of occupational science
• Analyse how everyday occupation can be modified/adapted to develop into a more sustainable lifestyle.

Valuing ability and Approach - attitudes

• Identify and critically process a unique perspective on activity/occupation in your life context in the Nordic countries that hinders or supports engagement/participation/occupational justice in relation to meaningful activities.
• Discuss and evaluate perspectives, concepts, and theories within occupational science related to sustainable occupation in relation to living and residing in the Nordic countries.
• Identify and concretize your need for additional knowledge and take responsibility for your knowledge development in lifelong learning.
• In dialogue with others, show a reflective approach to your own and others' values regarding equality, diversity, and other norm-critical concepts that affect the application of occupational science.

The course is sustainability-related, which means that at least one of the course's learning objectives clearly shows that the course content meets at least one of the University of Gothenburg's established criteria for sustainability labeling.