Situating Dignity in Occupational Science

Dignity is an important concept in the everyday lives of human beings, yet its meaning remains elusive in occupational science and related scientific discourse. Occupations are believed to promote dignity and the humanistic nature of our science compels us to preserve it (Peloquin, 2005; Yerxa et al., 1989). For continued success in defining our discipline as one committed to human flourishing and social justice, we must clarify the significance of our basic concepts and communicate these to the broader scientific community. Although dignity remains tacitly accepted as a pillar of the discipline and the profession, the concept of dignity itself remains largely under-theorized.. This inquiry explores the concept of dignity to elucidate its value for the science of occupation. Two conceptualizations of dignity, innate versus conditional, are postulated to create a clearer understanding of the distinction between the concepts and their relationship to occupation. Through discussion of medical ethics, philosophical review, differentiation from related constructs (e.g., respect, self-respect, self-esteem), and critical analysis of nursing research and theory, a connection between human occupation and dignity is shown and potential theoretical consequences are illuminated. The objective of the presentation is to invite discussion about developing models linking conceptualizations of dignity to occupation, exploring research questions and methods that further our understanding of the topic, and integrating with or contributing to the knowledge base of related disciplines. This presentation aims to strengthen the platform for socially responsible, collaborative occupational science scholarship and reinforce the foundation of the discipline