Ethnography and Phenomenology
. . . and a little Ethnomethodology
Dangerous Minds Mission
Phenomenological Approaches to
Research
“Research is a caring act”
van Manen, 1999, p. 5
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Phenomenology is the study of the
meaning of an experience. It seeks to
gain an understanding of everyday
experiences (van Manen, 1990)
Phenomenological research asks the question:
“What is it like to have a certain experience?”
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What is it like to be a mother in prison?
What is the experience of a beginning teacher?
What is the experience of being diagnosed with
breast cancer?
What is the experience of homelessness?
What is it like to grow up in poverty?
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Epistemologically phenomenology rejects
the natural sciences as an appropriate
foundation for human science inquiry
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The approach is based on personal
perspective and interpretation
Strengths of Phenomenology
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Rich, first person accounts in conversation and
interviews
Data is gathered in multiple ways
Cuts through the clutter of taken-for-granted
assumptions
Researcher is personally involved, interested
Holistic, caring methodology
Writing of stories creates rich text to recreate “lived
experience”
Challenges of Phenomenology
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Ethical issues due to the close relationship of
participants and researcher
Enormous amount of data, messy to organize and
interpret
Responsibility to accurately reflect “the truth”
Researcher must be mature, good listener, excellent
writer
Can be difficult to gain trust of participants.
Can be uncomfortable if research exposes or challenges
the status quo
Can be robust in reporting individual cases, but must be
tentative when suggesting their extent to a general
population
Criteria to Ensure Quality Research
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Does not use the terms validity or reliability, rather it
focuses on rigor, authenticity and believeablity
Create texts that are authentic, credible, true to the
voices of the participants
Use “direct quotes” from the participants to enhance
authenticity and anecdotes
Have participants comment on what is heard in
interviews and read early drafts
Write, write, write and rewrite. One needs to craft a
document that reflects the “lived experience” of what
was observed