The development of activity concept and its practice in the research of Jô Benetton

Abstract

The process of theory of technique developed by Jo Benetton, over the last 40 years, have ended in what we known as Dynamic Occupational Therapy Method (DOTM), held up in the
investigation of occupational therapy clinical practice to produce theories that explain phenomena of practice and methodologies to sustain assistance. This proposal always put activities, as part of the triadic relation, as one of the central element for therapeutic
process and had different understandings throughout the last 40 years. The aim of this work was to elucitade the development of activity concept and its practice on the author’s research, by conducting a review on her publications between 1971 and 2012. It was identifi ed three different times around the use of activities: the first phase was supported by psychoanalytic theory; the second phase, in which activities are considered an instrument of occupational therapy and the third term of the triadic relation; and the third phase, in which activities have a greater connection with the possibility of creation of spaces for health in everyday life. Thus, this work tries to contribute for the theoretical understanding of the process of the construction of DOTM, especially the development of ideas involving the use of activities, to provide
support for the continuation of studies on these issues, and for theoretical and methodological training of occupational therapists.