Abstract

Occupational therapy considers occupation and participation as core constructs required to support people’s engagement on what matters to them. In the first part of this chapter, we look at participation from a theoretical perspective. Over history, the profession’s understanding of the notion of participation has evolved, progressively acknowledging its complex nature. Participation matters as it is the way in which we are in and connect with the world. In the second part of the chapter, we look at participation in an applied manner. Through contextualized scenarios in the Global South, we present an applied understanding of the idea of participation for different age groups and the importance of our surrounding circumstances on it. This chapter is an invitation for readers to reflect on the idea of participation from a theoretical and a situated practical perspective. © 2025 selection and editorial matter, Ted Brown, Stephen Isbel, Louise Gustafsson, Sharon Gutman, Diane Powers Dirette, Bethan Collins, and Tim Barlott; individual chapters, the contributors.