5 Phenomenological analysis Flashcards
Phenomenological Analysis
In phenomenological analysis, we are particularly interested in how the world is experienced.
In phenomenology, it is assumed that we do not have direct access to the world around us; there is no such thing as an objective observation. Our perception of the world around us is always influenced by our specific, subjective attitude towards it.
This subjective attitude is sometimes also referred to as intentionality. Our perceptions are also not always well-reflected or cognitively specified.
Phenomenologists therefore prefer to talk of how the world around us subjectively appears to us.
descriptive Husserlian phenomenology
Edmund Husserl wanted to carefully examine human experience, and to discover the essential qualities of that experience.
To do so, according to Husserl, one must have an experiencer (the subject), and something that is experienced (the object). When we then study the experiential relationship between subject and object, according to Husserl, it is still to a large degree the subject who generates the experience in that specific situation.
The essential features of the experience of the object, however, also transcend the particular circumstances of its appearance, and thus could provide useful knowledge, also for other people and other situations.
Husserl developed a method which proceeds through several reductions, leading away from our own subjective attitude, assumptions, and preconceptions to the essence of the experience of a given phenomenon; towards the experience of the thing itself.
interpretive Heideggerian phenomenology
The interpretive Heideggerian tradition focuses more on ‘Dasein’, a term Heidegger introduced for the place, the situation, the context in which we are, and are becoming.
For Heidegger we are born into, or thrown into a situation. Our relation to the situation, our ‘Dasein’, is ontologically given, and not devoid of meaning to start from.
A phenomenon, in this sense, is conceived as a way in which we are finding ourselves in the world. We therefore do not start from scratch in defining our meaningful relationship with the world; we start from some kind of foreknowledge, and from there, through an iterative process of interpretation, we unveil the meaning of our ‘Dasein’.
The science of interpretation is called ‘hermeneutics’, while the iterative process of interpretation is often described as a hermeneutical circle in which we dialectically switch perspectives from the whole of the situation to the specific aspect of the situation, and thus step by step deepen our interpretation of its meaning.
A typical representative of this interpretive Heideggerian phenomenological analysis is Max Van Manen.
post-intentional phenomenology
This is partly inspired by the work of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. The focus shifts from being, to becoming. In the process of becoming there is not just one single intentionality, but the multiplicity of possible intentionality’s.
This approach does try to extend the dynamic view of being in this world, and at the same time also tries to be less focused on individual intentionality, and more on intentionality circulating through social relations. It is also not so much interested in what things are, but more in how things connect.
Intentionality in this tradition sees consciousness embodiment as infused by culture, and permeated by the social.
This post-intentional phenomenology also opens itself towards a political philosophy and critical phenomenology. A typical representative of this post-intentional phenomenological analysis is Mark Vagle.
What is a ‘Theme’?
Joffe suggests that ‘[A] theme refers to a specific pattern of meaning found in the data.’
Braun and Clarke propose that ‘[A] theme captures something important about the data in relation to the research question, and represents some level of patterned response or meaning within the data set.’
Boyatzis describes a theme as ‘a pattern in the information that at a minimum describes and organises the possible observations and at maximum interprets aspects of the phenomenon’.
All three attempts to define what a theme is include a reference to the presence of a pattern.
This suggests that a theme refers to a particular, recognizable configuration of meanings which co-occur in a way that is meaningful and systematic rather than random and arbitrary.
What counts as a theme in a particular thematic analysis depends on the research question and the epistemological approach taken by the researcher
Meanings captured by a theme can be manifest (i.e. directly observable meaning) or latent (i.e. implicit meaning), depending on how the researcher approaches the interpretative task. This means that themes can range from a simple acknowledgement of the issues a research participant has raised to an interpretation of what psychological state might underpin the participant’s comments.
Joffe recommends that the researcher stipulates clear and explicit criteria for what can and what cannot be coded within themes. To put it another way, the researcher needs to be clear about what counts as a theme within the context of a particular study.
Limitations of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
On the theoretical side of things, we have already seen that language does not merely describe, but can also ‘construct’ or shape meaning. When a participant puts their experience into words, the words they use will provoke certain associations (connotations) that frame the experience.
On the more practical side of things, a participant might not have the necessary vocabulary to explain their experience and do justice to all its subtleties and nuances. To what extent are participants able to put their experience into words?
Another limitation of interpretative phenomenological analysis is that you cannot draw conclusions that involve causality from your interviews. Interpretative phenomenological research tries to understand perception on behalf of participants. This doesn’t allow you to conclude things about why certain phenomena occur, and why perceptions differ among participants.
