Phenomenological lifeworld perspective, methodology and analysis

Basic knowledge about phenomenology

Basic knowledge about qualitative research methods

The candidate will have achieved the following competences upon completing this course:

Knowledge:

• Will have in-depth knowledge of the relationship between the phenomenological lifeworld perspective as described in phenomenological philosophy and phenomenology as an empirical research approach
• Will have in-depth knowledge of phenomenological methodology and can evaluate it’s implications for empirical phenomenological research
• Will have in-depth knowledge into the process of planning and undertaking a phenomenological research study such as the process of gathering data and the process of analysing data within selected phenomenological research approaches

Skills:

• Can make qualified decisions regarding the applicability of a phenomenological lifeworld perspective in empirical research
• Can ask a phenomenological research question and develop a plan for data gathering and for analyzing data within selected phenomenological approaches
• Can carry out a phenomenological data analysis and generate a description of the findings
• Can critically reflect on and discuss own and co-participants’ considerations and choices

General competences:

• Achieve practical insights into the process of undertaking a phenomenological analysis
• Can critically evaluate and reflect on empirical phenomenological studies
• Can communicate phenomenological research findings in peer-reviewed national and international periodicals
• Can critically reflect on and discuss selected empirical phenomenological research approaches

The course provides an overview of the the continental philosophical lifeworld theory developed within phenomenology and hermeneutics. The course pays attention to how a phenomenological lifeworld perspective contributes to gain knowledge of participants lived experiences. Thus, the course focuses on methodological questions and their implications for doing an empirical phenomenological study.

I. Introduction to the continental philosophical lifeworld theory

1. The first part focuses on epistemology and ontology within the phenomenological tradition as well as

• phenomenological key concepts significant for empirical phenomenological research
• how to obtain consistency throughout the research process between the phenomenological methodology and the concrete empirical study.

II. The second part focuses on the empirical phenomenological research process.

2. The data gathering process. Particular attention will be payed on phenomenological interviewing in relation to:

• Experiential individual lifeworld interview
• Focus group interviews
• Observation

3. An introduction to different approaches to phenomenological analysis

• Descriptive phenomenological analysis (Giorgi)
• Reflective lifeworld research descriptive analysis and interpretive analysis (Dahlberg)
• Phenomenology of Practice (Van Manen)

4. The process of undertaking a phenomenological analysis of a chosen phenomenon.

• Theoretical and practical insights into the analysis process as described by a phenomenological research approach

5. Presentation of finding

• Theoretical and practical insights into the process of presentation of findings
• Preliminary description of a phenomenon.

III. Critique of phenomenological empirical research

• The last part addresses critique of phenomenological empirical research and
• discussions of how to respond to the critique

This course will be taught over five following days and includes practical work with phenomenological data analysis. The teaching and learning methods will consist of a combination of lectures, group work and presentations based on the topics of the lectures and the candidate’s own ongoing research. Presentations include feed-back from teacher and co-participants.

Before the start of the course, each participant must e-mail the course responsible a 1-2 pages document stating the PhD project’s: (1) research question, (2) methodology and (3) method including context, participants, data gathering and plan for analysis.