Qualitative approaches with emphasis on phenomenology

¶ … Therapy

Methods associated with the qualitative approach have been developed and strengthened over the years, creating a new perspective from which research studies of the latter 20th century are seen, understood and/or explained. Compared with quantitative approach and its methods, qualitative research studies lends itself to the challenge of analyzing and interpreting from a more specific and subjective manner. Qualitative methods like in-depth interviewing, focus group discussions or FGDs, observations or ethnography and even phenomenology have put premium on individual experiences and their differences from each other. Because of the nature of its methodologies, qualitative research studies are conducted to provide in-depth insights and ideas about phenomena, issues or problems posed by the researcher. Since each case is subjectively analyzed and interpreted, its results cannot be generalized for a specific group or population. Instead, qualitative research methods provide a comprehensive scan of themes and concepts that will help the researcher understand his/her research problem.

Phenomenology as a qualitative research methodology first emerged as a philosophical movement in the 20th century. Described from the classical perspective -- that is, from its originator Edmund Husserl, phenomenology is a method wherein there is "suspension of disbelief." By this, he meant that (Carroll et. al., 2000:7).

what ordinarily counts as actual is taken up without regard for its actuality…all phenomena are left open to an investigation into what makes them phenomena…what makes them count as real, meaningful objects for ordinary experience…phenomenological description creatively evokes an experience of something in order to guide other investigators toward the same something.

'Guiding the other investigators toward the same something' aptly describes the nature of qualitative research methodologies, as each method seeks to provide a more in-depth look at a particular construct or phenomenon/issue. However, what sets phenomenology apart from these methods is that it brings one's experience at the center stage of both analysis and interpretation or understanding of a social issue or phenomenon. Furthermore, unlike other methods, it does not confine itself to theoretical frameworks that attempt to provide researchers with a basis or guide in interpreting insights generated from phenomenology. Thus, the "researcher's interpretive schema is under suspension," and social phenomena are understood as claimed or understood by the subject under study (Ibid, 8). More likened to the process of researching from grounded theory, phenomenology does indeed use insights (data) as its foundation into developing a more general yet in-depth explanation for a social phenomenon. Phenomenology exhausts all possible concepts, themes and insights that can be generated from the individual and his/her experience in order to explain a comprehensive understanding of the social phenomenon being studied.

The individual and his/her experience(s) are critical components to what would be an important aspect of phenomenology, which includes the social construction of reality. Indeed, with phenomenology, experiences and the individual's understanding of these basically provides the core of understanding for a particular social phenomenon. That is, one dimension of this social phenomenon is captured in the individual's relevant personal experiences. Other personal experiences are generated to cull out or discover new, other dimensions that provide a different or extended explanation of the social phenomenon. This process will continue until these dimensions are grouped together to come up with a multi-faceted approach to understanding and interpreting the social phenomenon. (Although phenomenology itself stops at the stage wherein another new dimension is discovered and used to describe the social phenomenon based on the individual's experiences.

Nagel's (in Carroll et. al., 2000) discussion and assessment of phenomenology as it applies in media advertising centered on the idea of 'different selves' and how these selves are related to different social acts and behaviors. These acts and behaviors, in turn, provide an understanding of how advertising is able to capture one's attention and eventually motivates the individual/consumer to try/buy and eventually patronize or prefer the product/brand over others. Phenomenology is a good take-off point for advertising and market researchers in determining one's motivation in choosing and buying a particular brand. Inevitably, this preferred brand brings with it specific characteristics which the individual identifies with, or are closely related to his/her perception of himself/herself, or are representative of the different selves that the individual has developed and identifies with when making decisions about purchases. Interestingly, Nagel identified these selves based on "because" and "in order to" motivations, which actually translate to two different selves or images: the present self or image of the individual ("because"), and the future self or image -- what the individual aspires/wants to be ("in order to") (243-4). From this typology, it becomes clear that phenomenology uncovered these two selves, which led to the author's understanding that purchase decision-making is influenced by advertising based on how relevant or close the images presented in the ad are to the individual's present and future (aspired) selves.

The social construction of reality based on the qualitative method of phenomenology is just as helpful in the medical field, specifically, occupational therapy. Technically defined, occupational therapy is (WFOT, 2004):

A profession concerned with promoting health and well being through occupation. The primary goal of occupational therapy is to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. Occupational therapists achieve this outcome by enabling people to do things that will enhance their ability to participate or by modifying the environment to better support participation.

A scan of cases concerning occupational therapy and the application of phenomenology to these cases provides context in understanding how this qualitative method can help occupational therapists understand their profession more, and be able to provide improved and better services and care to their patients.

One of these cases is Lequerica et. al.'s study in 2009, wherein his team conducted a survey to determine physical and occupational therapists' impressions of their engagement with patients in rehabilitation therapy. In the survey, one of the important findings uncovered was that key to removing barriers to patient engagement is to make "therapy tasks meaningful and explicitly related to personal goals of the patient" (753). This finding echoes the need for occupational and physical therapists to know their patients' personal challenges/experiences in rehabilitation, including other areas in his/her life affected by it. Phenomenology comes in during this process, and it is only through the phenomenological process that therapists can have a greater and deeper understanding of their patients. Ultimately, this understanding will be utilized to provide patients with improved, better therapy services, that is, addressing patients' difficulties that could prevent them from being fully rehabilitated.