The following paper explores the foundations of phenomenology, and seeks to provide those new to the discipline with ways of understanding its claims to assist knowers to attend to 'the things themselves'. Practical applications of this mode of inquiry are linked to adult education practice which is the author's field of practice but most of the ideas are readily applicable to social events and practices such as nursing, social work, recreation, history and the like. Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology , Volume (...) 1, Edition 1 April 2001. (shrink)

This paper explores some of the ways in which phenomenological approaches have been linked to contemporary social science inquiry into human ways of knowing and learning in the fields of education and nursing research. It then looks at four contemporary approaches which draw on phenomenology namely: distinguishing imaginal from rational/logical knowing as an alternative and complementary mode of knowing; using ‘arts based’ or ‘expressive’ approaches to inquiry; developing hermeneutic text making to present research findings and using heuristics in a cyclical (...) approach to understanding forms of human experience. The suggestion is that these approaches could be enriched and deepened by a more explicit exploration of phenomenological approaches and that conversely, some of forms of phenomenological research might be enriched by the use of these approaches. Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology , Volume 4, Edition 1 July 2004. (shrink)

This paper explores the use of poetic forms of expressive writing in phenomenological research. The first part recapitulates the expressive agenda and its links with phenomenology. The second part of the paper looks at the genesis of a poetic form I used in recent phenomenological writing which I came to call 'poetised' but now prefer to call 'poetic' reflections. The third part looks at elements of poetry and their value in expressive writing. The fourth concerns the implications of linking art (...) with social research. The fifth introduces a poetic reflection and explores a little of its so-called 'penetrative capacity' in research presentation. The final part concludes the project. (shrink)