Understanding ‘violence’ within protest: A call for further research within occupational therapy and occupational science

Abstract

There is a dearth of research in occupational science towards understanding 'violence' within the context of protest, including why and how these two phenomena occur in and of each other and why both are characteristic of Post-Apartheid South Africa. This gap in knowledge is particularly concerning as both the profession of occupational therapy and the discipline of occupational science are concerned with human occupation as a means of analysing everyday doing as shaped by context. Efforts towards contextually reflexive research, practice, and education in the discipline and profession cannot continue to ignore this issue, especially as it pertains to the impact of violence within protest on the health and well-being of activists. This article offers a historical analysis of protest 'violence' across key political shifts in South Africa, using a decolonial lens. This perspective foregrounds colonial configurations of context, and the need to critically interrogate structures, practices, and processes that are potentially complicit in sustaining and reproducing this social order. The conceptualisation of what is termed 'violence' within the context of protest is problematised throughout, highlighting the contested nature of this term. Lastly, this article identifies occupational science constructs that may offer insights into this complex phenomenon and notes pertinent questions for theory and practice developments.