MPT FOCUS ON CONTEXT
Within the MPT it is important to think about the context of your practice, that is, to think about the
influences which affect your day to day work. Whiteford, Klomp and Wright St Clair (2005) suggest
that there are four main influences on the context of practice:
professional
organisational
socio-cultural
political / economic
These are represented here on the outer section of the MPT.
The MPT is situated in practice which means that all the influences which come together at your
place of work will also have impact on your professional thinking. For the purposes of gaining an
understanding of these influences, it is helpful to consider them separately, but whilst doing so
remember they are interconnected!
As you read through the sections below, some prompt questions are included; they may not all be
pertinent to your practice, but provide a flavour of areas for your consideration.
Professional context
You can begin by thinking about the professional standards, expectations, values, and morals of your
profession. Consider the influence of your professional body. As a student or graduate you will be
following or have followed an approved and accredited course of study, so think in general terms
about your professional knowledge, and how available evidence informs your practice. You can also
consider if your work place has links with the wider community, locally, nationally or internationally.
Organisational context
Now consider the organisation in which you work. Do you feel part of your organisation; do you
understand its values and focus? Do you feel supported and is your professional group represented
appropriately? Do you have opportunities for continuing professional development? Are there
requirements to adopt new or different working practices? How do you work with and alongside
others in your organisation?
Socio-cultural context
Within this section you can recognise how your practice area is socially and culturally mediated. You
can think about how the ways in which your society is constructed and how cultural norms,
behaviours and values affect individuals and groups. For example, you can consider societal
expectations with regard to men and women’s roles. What bearing does the diverse nature of the
family unit have on your client’s experiences, and your practice? You can also contemplate the ways
in which an area, pertinent to your specific practice, such as mobility, function, communication or
occupation is culturally determined, and challenge yourself to look beyond your own cultural norms
and expectations, and be appreciative and understanding of different socio-cultural constructs.
Political / Economic
Thinking about the context of your practice would not be complete without a consideration of
political and economic influences. These can be viewed from a number of different perspectives.
What is the impact of national and local policy on your practice? Are there difficulties and tensions?
What resources are available to you? Are you expected to justify the effectiveness of your
interventions and how do you measure outcomes? How does a person’s difficulty resulting from
illness and disability affect income and financial stability? In what way does current the political and
economic position help, or hinder your practice?
Find out more
Whiteford G and Wright St Clair (Eds) (2005) Occupation & practice in context. Sydney Australia:
Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
Next steps
Now you have considered the context of your practice, make some notes of the key things
that have occurred to you on the MPT template.
You can now move on to the next stage of the MPT click on ‘the event’…..