The Participatory Occupational Justice Framework as a tool for change: Three contrasting case narratives

Abstract

The Participatory Occupational Justice Framework (POJF) was first developed and published in 2005 as a scholarly collaboration between Townsend and Whiteford and has since developed over several iterations. It was created to provide the basis for reflective and collaborative action to address instances of occupational injustice, rather than a prescription for intervention. Importantly, the POJF identifies social inclusion as the outcome or “ends” of the processes identified within it. Foundational to the POJF is a critical epistemology aimed at ensuring that those using the framework are cognisant of the power relations ever present in the complex, multi layered environments in which actions to tackle occupational injustices occur. In this article, the authors discuss its key concepts and core processes, and outline the critical, epistemic foundations underpinning the POJF. We then move on to present three case narratives drawn from very different contexts to illustrate how it can be a powerful tool for transformative change at different structural levels in society.