2 Phenomenological research

Question 1

Phenomenological research

Answer 1

We try to extract general structures of experiences and meaning of a certain phenomenon from several different individuals. In phenomenology, we are specifically interested in the common features of the experiences of a phenomenon, such as for example chronic disease or even the experience of having cancer. You might also think of the experience of a specific place or event, or any other phenomena that the researcher might want to focus on. The aim of the research is to extract the shared features of the different individual’s experiences to get a “grasp of the very nature of the thing”

Question 2

Background

Answer 2

While there seem to be different philosophical standpoints regarding the usage of phenomenology, all of these positions rely on similar basic assumptions. It is the main goal to study the lived experience of individuals, that these experiences are consciously experienced, and that the essence of the experiences is described rather than analyzed or explained.

Question 3

four philosophical perspectives in phenomenological research

Answer 3

1. Phenomenology has the aim of returning to the traditional tasks of philosophy.
2. Phenomenology is supposed to inform without making prior assumptions. Rather, such presuppositions need to be first established to be true, before we can work with them. Husserl calls this suspension of the “natural attitude” an epoche.
3. In phenomenological research, there is also the assumption of intentionality of consciousness. Husserl argues that one cannot simply say that reality consists of subjects and objects, but rather of the conscious experience of subjects and objects.
4. Phenomenology refuses the subject-object distinction in general. The experience of something as an object or a subject exists only within the conscious experience of an individual.

Question 4

Core elements

Answer 4

There is a focus on the phenomenon which the researcher wants to investigate. This should be described in a single concept.

You should find a heterogenous group of individuals anywhere between 3-4 or up to 10-15 people.

It is necessary to include a philosophical discussion about the background of phenomenological research.

Phenomenological reflection: It is not unusual that the researcher attempts to bracket him or herself out as much as possible. This can be done by reflecting on the personal experience of the researcher him or herself with the phenomenon and then try to set them aside.

Often, phenomenological research involves interviewing the participants of the study. It is possible, though, to also conduct phenomenological research using any other type of data that might help with the aim of the research, like documents, observations, or expressions of art that help understand individuals’ experiences.

The phenomenology should conclude with a descriptive discussion of the essence of the individuals’ shared experience.

Question 5

Hermeneutic phenomenology

Answer 5

A study of the lived experience

• specify a specific question or concern, that you would like to examine.
• extract the essential themes of the lived experience that is being researched.
• describe the phenomenon.
• interpretation of the meaning of the description of experiences.

Question 6

transcendental or psychological phenomenology

Answer 6

The researcher is less focussed on their own interpretations, but more on how the experiences of the participants are described. This comes hand in hand with an attempt to bracket out the researcher’s experience.
This ideally gives the researcher the opportunity to get a relatively unbiased and new insight into the studied phenomenon. However, it needs to be noted that this is indeed an ideal case and that our nature cannot allow us to be completely unbiased.

• Choose a relevant topic for the phenomenological inquiry.
• Bracket out the researcher’s own experience, and subsequently collect data from a suitable group of individuals.
• Data analysis, where the researcher takes significant statements/quotes from the data and extracts relevant themes from them.
• Textural description and a structural description. - Form one whole image of the common experience of the studied individuals.

Question 7

Challenges

Answer 7

It is important to be aware of the central caveats of this methodology. When we remember these as we are conducting phenomenological research, we can ensure a much higher validity of our conclusions than if we simply ignore these concerns.

Since the phenomenological reflection only accounts for, but does not remove the bias from the research itself.

While the process of bracketing out can improve the research, it can also induce changes in how the researcher understands the phenomenon, as the process of bracketing can shine a light on the researcher’s own interaction with the phenomenon. Phenomenological projects and their methods often have a transformative effect on the researcher himself or herself.

While the general structure of the research can be a bit flexible, the selection of participants always needs to be considered very carefully.