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PHENOMENOLOGY

Phenomenologycomesfromtheacademicdisciplinesofphilosophyandpsychology,anditisbasedupontheworkofthe20thcenturyphilosopherEdmundHusserl,whichwasthenlaterdevelopedbyHeidegger.

Introduction

Initsbroadestsense,'phenomenology'referstoaperson'sperceptionofthemeaningofanevent,asopposedtotheeventasitexistsexternallyto(outsideof)thatperson.

Thefocusofphenomenologicinquiryiswhatpeopleexperienceinregardtosomephenomenonorotherandhowtheyinterpretthoseexperiences.

Aphenomenologicalresearchstudyisastudythatattemptstounderstandpeople'sperceptions,perspectivesandunderstandingsofaparticularsituation(orphenomenon).

Inotherwords,aphenomenologicalresearchstudytriestoanswerthequestion'Whatisitliketoexperiencesuchandsuch?'.

Bylookingatmultipleperspectivesofthesamesituation,aresearchercanstarttomakesomegeneralisationsofwhatsomethingislikeasanexperiencefromthe'insider's'perspective.

Whatisphenomenology?

Theobjectiveofphenomenologyisthedirectinvestigationanddescriptionofphenomenaasconsciouslyexperienced,

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withouttheoriesabouttheircausalexplanationsortheirobjectivereality.

Itthereforeseekstounderstandhowpeopleconstructmeaning.

Maincharacteristicsofphenomenology

Thereareseveralmaincharacteristicsthathelptodefinewhatexactlyphenomenologyis.

Methodology

Aphenomenologicalstudyofteninvolvesthefourstepsof:

Bracketing

Intuiting

Analysing

Describing

Sampling

Smallsamples(probablynomorethan10participants)aremostsuitableforthistypeofresearch.

Largesamplescanbecomeunwieldy.

Datacollectionmethods

Veryopenquestionsneedtobeasked.

Thedatacollectiontoolsthataremostoftenusedare:

Interviews/speech

Diaries/written

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Drawings/nonverbal

Observation/visual

Advantages/Disadvantages

Aswithallresearchmethodologies,thereareinbuiltadvantages,andthereareinbuiltdisadvantages.

Conclusion

Theaimofphenomenologicalresearchistoaspiretopureselfexpression,withnoninterferencefromtheresearcher.

Thismeanstheremustbeno'leadingquestions',aswellastheresearchercompletingtheprocessofbracketingsothattheycanbeawareoftheirownideasandprejudicesaboutthephenomenonofinterest.

Thephenomenologicapproachisespeciallyusefulwhenaphenomenonofinteresthasbeenpoorlydefinedorconceptualisedoryoudidnotknowthatitexisted!

AccordingtoVanManen(1990),thefouraspectsof'livedexperience'thatareofinteresttophenomenologistsare:

livedspace(spatiality)

livedbody(corporeality)

livedtime(temporality)

livedhumanrelations(relationality)

Thetopicsappropriatetophenomenologyareonesthatarefundamentaltothelifeexperiencesofhumans,e.g.

themeaningofhealth/stress

theexperienceofbereavement

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thequalityoflifewithachronicillness.

Phenomenologycanencompassnarrativeresearch.

Phenomenologyisattractivetoqualitativenurseresearchersbecausecaring(or'Sorge')isfundamentaltotheresearchapproach.

Phenomenologycanbeavehicletoilluminateandclarifycentralandimportantissuesinnursing.Reference:VanManenM.(1990)ResearchingLivedExperience:Humanscienceforanactionsensitivepedagogy.London,Ontario:Althouse

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