Journal Entry #4 CI 8150 University of Minnesota: Theories of Growth and Change in Elementary Schooling

Reactions and notes from Dahlberg, Dahlberg, and Nystrom (2008). Reflective Lifeworld Research. Lund, Sweden.

Lifeworld Phenomenology

Dictionary Entries for this Post:

Lifeworld:  "When we refer to the human world as the lifeworld, we imply that as humans we are already in a world context, which among other meanings is a world of tradition, history, and culture.  This multi-faceted world is also a world of other humans" (56).

Lifeworld Research:  "... is characterized by an aspiration for sensitive openness, a concern for elucidation, and a purposeful leaving aside of expectations and assumptions so that the phenomenon and its meaning can show itself and, perhaps, surprise its researchers.  It is about shift from a natural attitude to a phenomenological scientific attitude" (96).

Openness:  " [Gadamer speaks of openness as] a wish to see, a wish to understand something in a new way" which, "points towards [openness] as a methodological principle" (111).

Bridling:  "'an attitude that enables one to hold on to the patient meanwhile' in which meanings come to be.  It is about welcoming a way of being open where the vent of understanding is "bridled" (124).

Bridling Thoughts:

I have to admit, this book was a bit above my experience with phenomenology, which I admit, it very limited.  However, I actually felt more connected to the text in this book, then the introductory text to Phenomenology I read by Van Manen (See Journal Entry #2).  I think this is due, in part, to the fact that my intrigue in the concept of the lifeworld, which looks at we humans as contextual beings.  This is interesting to me because of my background in Psychology, and its views of nurtured and conditioned perceptions based upon the environment one grows up in.  This environment can include the areas of tradition, history and culture, as also reflected in the text.  I also thought the concept of openness, as depicted in the text was a unique way of trying to alert us, as researchers, to our own conditioned perceptions, and to be able conduct true lifeworld research as described by the authors.  Conducting this type of research does not use openness as a methodology, but rather, as far as aI understand it, realigns our own thoughts and attitudes as researchers so that we can see the experience of the phenomenon in a way that was perhaps not apparent to us before.  We then can use bridling to draw connections and observations of what has been experienced or observed, when being open.

I also enjoyed Chapter 6 of this book that discussed "Lifeworld research as science, and how it would be good for the field if qualitative researchers would examine their own work from the "qualitative evidence perspective" (325).  What an interesting thought:  to complete a phenomenological study on a phenomenological study.  This concept in the text is referred to as Reflective Lifeworld Research.

To be honest, this all is a bit abstract and intellectual for me at this time, but I do know I am beginning to have a grasp on what I would consider some fundamentals of the phenomenological approach. I find the concept fascinating, and I look forward to learning more.