Phenomenology

Phenomenology is a historical movement inaugurated in Europe by scholars interested in creating an approach to philosophy that focuses on the conscious experience of phenomena contextualized within the world individuals inhabit. Although the general concept of phenomenology has been the subject of exploration by a wide variety of scholars over time, current usage of phenomenology as a human science philosophy is most related to the work of Edmund Husserl, commonly considered to be the founder of contemporary phenomenology.

In its most basic form, phenomenology is the study of essences, or the person's lived experience in his or her lifeworld before this gets categorized or theorized. As such, phenomenology as a philosophical and methodological approach focuses more on the descriptive rather than on the prescriptive. Through the work of Husserl and others—most notably Martin Heidegger and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, whose disagreements with Husserl helped to extend and clarify the concept—phenomenology worked to establish a separate field of research, independent from an empirical science approach. Known as existential phenomenologists, these scholars promoted a return to a rigorous science that focused on analysis of conscious experience as opposed to hypothetical constructs.

Phenomenology is grounded in several key epistemological and ontological assumptions, each of [Page 750]which helps to explain the foundations of this philosophical approach to understanding social phenomena. The first assumption of phenomenology is a rejection of the idea that researchers can be objective. Given this, phenomenologists believe that knowledge of essences is only possible by bracketing preconceived assumptions through a process known as phenomenological epoche. A second assumption hinges on the idea that a deeper understanding of the nature and meaning of life exists within analysis of our daily practices. Accordingly, phenomenological research encourages an attentiveness to the taken-for-granted experiences that are reflected in our everyday interactions; these same experiences reflect microcosms of larger cultural, political, and societal structures.

The importance of exploring persons as opposed to individuals is the third assumption of phenomenology. Although individuals can refer to any number of things, persons are understood through the unique ways in which they are reflective of particular social, cultural, and historical life circumstances. The fourth assumption relates to how persons are situated within the research process. In phenomenology, researchers are interested in gathering capta (conscious experience that is given significance through one's own interpretation) instead of traditional data. Some contemporary phenomenologists have solidified these values and worked to incorporate the contributions of those involved in more meaningful ways (e.g., seeking their feedback on preliminary themes of capta). In light of this epistemological shift, many have adopted the use of terms such as participants or co-researchers instead of the more traditional subjects to describe those studied in the research process.

The final assumptions of phenomenology relate to process. Phenomenology is a discovery-oriented methodology that does not specify beforehand what it intends to find. As such, it approaches scholarly inquiry through an open, unconstricting manner. Phenomenology is interested in meaning questions—those that seek understanding of the possible meaning and significance of certain phenomena. Meaning questions are never fully realized; instead, they are answered with an acknowledgment that other possibilities can and do exist.

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