The study of people's lived experiences (phenomena are considered "texts" and are open to interpretation) while acknowledging the role of interpretation in making sense of that experience
Hermeneutics
An approach to interpretation and meaning-making, particularly of texts (as literal text)
The foundation of hermeneutics as an approach traces its roots back to understanding the divine texts
Phenomenology
Begins its history in the early 20th century with Edmund Husserl, a German philosopher
Studies the conscious experience as experienced from a first-person point of view, as they appear in our experience, hence it talks about the meanings these phenomena have in our experience
Edmund Husserl
Believed that natural sciences became detached from the fabric of reality of human experience
Believed that scientific knowledge should start with describing the objects of study as phenomena (an event or occurrence; in this case, it is the natural phenomena) to how they appear in human consciousness
Applying hermeneutical phenomenology in research
1. Acknowledge the perceptions of the participants about the phenomenon
2. Reflect on these perceptions
Hermeneutical phenomenology
1. Interprets and re-interprets the interpretations of the people about a certain phenomenon
