Nurs of ing al & rn C u a o r e J Reiners, J Nurs Care 2012, 1:5 Journal of Nursing and Care DOI: 10.4172/2167-1168.1000119 ISSN: 2167-1168

Review Article Open Access Understanding the Differences between Husserl’s (Descriptive) and Heidegger’s (Interpretive) Phenomenological Research Gina M. Reiners* University of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117, USA

Abstract Phenomenology is one of several qualitative research traditions. Undergraduate and graduate nursing students have sought to understand the differences between Husserl’s descriptive and Heidegger’s interpretive phenomenology. This article is a basic resource for nursing students that describes and interprets the differences between the two philosophical phenomenological schools of thought. The origin of phenomenology is presented. A descriptive and an interpretive article from two peer reviewed nursing journals are compared and contrasted based on their purpose, data collection and data analysis. The selected articles were chosen based on their topic of relevance related to nursing students in educational settings.

Keywords: Phenomenology, Research, Qualitative research philosophy of phenomenology allied closely with the naturalistic paradigm. Phenomenologists assumed that knowledge was achieved Introduction through interactions between researchers and participants. Therefore, phenomenological research was considered subjective, inductive, and Nursing is concerned with delivering quality care and dynamic. Consequently, participant and researcher engagement has understanding people. In order for nurses to appreciate the depth of offered researchers an understanding about phenomenon not typically their patients, they engage in recognizing and validating the whole studied [2]. person and their unique experiences. Many nurses are interested in conducting phenomenological research, perhaps, because it takes Husserl (descriptive) versus Heidegger (interpretive) into consideration the values of the individual’s experience and phenomenology their whole being. Consequently, when nurses consider conducting phenomenological research they need to choose the most appropriate Phenomenology is an inductive qualitative research tradition approach, so that the value of their research is not compromised [1]. rooted in the 20th century philosophical traditions of Edmund Husserl (descriptive) and Martin Heidegger (interpretive). Edmund Husserl The aim of this article is to present an educational resource for nursing (1859-1938), a German mathematician, founded the philosophical students, which illustrates the differences between Husserl (descriptive) movement of phenomenology. Husserl believed that phenomenology and Heidegger (interpretive) phenomenological philosophy through suspended all suppositions, was related to consciousness, and was the description of two peer reviewed nursing articles that employ based on the meaning of the individual’s experience [3]. The experience either phenomenological approach in a nursing educational setting. of perception, thought, memory, imagination, and emotion, involve The two selected articles were based on research topics that would what Husserl called “intentionality”, which is one’s directed awareness be most relevant for nursing students, which could foster greater or consciousness of an object or event. Thus, the critical question for understanding of interpretive and descriptive phenomenology. Husserl was: What do we know as persons? Consequently, Husserl Consequently, will nursing students who use a resource that examines developed descriptive phenomenology, where everyday conscious the differences between Edmund Husserl (descriptive) and Martin experiences were described while preconceived opinions were set aside Heidegger (interpretive) philosophies of phenomenology increase their or bracketed [4]. understanding of the two phenomenological schools of thought? This Martin Heidegger (1889-1976), Husserl’s student, rejected the article is not about original research and will not answer that question, theory of knowledge known as epistemology, and adopted ontology, because this article is a guide for nursing research students and any other the science of being. Heidegger developed interpretive phenomenology researchers who want to better understand the two phenomenological by extending hermeneutics, the philosophy of interpretation [3]. approaches. The question for this article is: What are the differences He broadened hermeneutics by studying the concept of being in the between the philosophical traditions of Husserl and Heidegger? world rather than knowing the world. Hermeneutics moves beyond the The origins of phenomenology description or core concepts of the experience and seeks meanings that are embedded in everyday occurrences [5]. Thus, the critical question The underlying philosophy of phenomenological research evolved through protest of the positivist paradigm. Reflected in 19th century thought, the principles of positivism postulated that researchers could *Corresponding author: Gina M. Reiners, Assistant Professor of Nursing, Uni- study reality. The positivist paradigm asserted that reality was ordered, versity of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117, USA, rational, and logical. Consequently, positivists assumed objectivity Tel: 860-231-2080 (Off) & 203-271-2980 (Res); Fax: 860- 231- 6755; E-mail: measured knowledge and was independent of human interaction. [email protected] Furthermore, quantitative research negated human subjectivity through Received July 10, 2012; Accepted August 25, 2012; Published August 27, 2012 strictly controlled collection and data analysis methods. Logically, the Citation: Reiners GM (2012) Understanding the Differences between Husserl’s findings of quantitative research were based on the tenets of empiricism (Descriptive) and Heidegger’s (Interpretive) Phenomenological Research. J Nurs and reductionism [2]. Care 1:119. doi:10.4172/2167-1168.1000119 The naturalistic paradigm, the countermovement of the Copyright: © 2012 Reiners GM. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted positivist paradigm, presumed that reality was not fixed but based use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and on individual and subjective realities. As one would suspect, the source are credited.

J Nurs Care Volume 1 • Issue 5 • 1000119 ISSN: 2167-1168 JNC, an open access journal Citation: Reiners GM (2012) Understanding the Differences between Husserl’s (Descriptive) and Heidegger’s (Interpretive) Phenomenological Research. J Nurs Care 1:119. doi:10.4172/2167-1168.1000119

Page 2 of 3 for Heidegger was: What is being? Heidegger, who was interested Method in interpreting and describing human experience, believed that bracketing was not warranted because hermeneutics presumed prior Data collection understanding [4]. Two relevant educational peer reviewed nursing articles were Heidegger believed it was impossible to negate our experiences selected based on either Husserl’s descriptive phenomenological philosophy or Heidegger’s interpretive phenomenological philosophy. related to the phenomenon under study, for he believed personal Each article was reviewed and analyzed based on either the tenets of awareness was intrinsic to phenomenological research. Heidegger Husserl’s or Heidegger’s philosophy. rejected understanding how we know as humans, but accepted knowing as what it means to be [4]. According to Dahlberg, Drew and Nystrom Data analysis [4], “Heidegger asserted that human existence is a more fundamental A reading guide was constructed for the systematic review of the notion than human consciousness and human knowledge. His two articles. philosophy makes it clear that the essence of human understanding is hermeneutic, that is, our understanding of the everyday world is 1. Description or presentation of phenomenological approach. derived from our interpretation of it”. 2. Presentation of the design and analysis (aim/purpose, research When would a researcher choose to use either Husserl’s descriptive questions, process of analysis and the researcher’s role or Heidegger’s interpretive phenomenology? Researchers who [bracketed or not bracketed]). choose to understand and conduct either descriptive or interpretive A study based on Husserl’s descriptive philosophy phenomenological research need to be interested in how an individual’s consciousness perceives their description or interpretation of an Papp and Markkanen [6] conducted a qualitative study entitled, object or an event. Hence, in the moment of perceiving, the individual “Clinical Environment as a Learning Environment: Student Nurses’ implicitly describes or interprets the meaning of the experience through Perceptions concerning Clinical Learning Experiences”. The design of patterns that embody the gestalt of the phenomenon [6]. the Papp and Markkanen [6] study was based on Husserl’s descriptive phenomenological philosophy, where the directed awareness Interpretive phenomenology is used when the research question (intentionality) of the students’ perceptions of their clinical experiences asks for the meaning of the phenomenon and the researcher does not and the researchers’ bracketed engagement guided their findings. bracket their biases and prior engagement with the question under The goal of the Papp and Markkanen [6] study was to describe the study. Descriptive phenomenology is used when the researcher wants student nurses’ perceptions of their clinical learning environments. The to describe the phenomenon under study and brackets their biases [7]. researchers were interested in describing how clinical and classroom learning complemented each other [6]. Data analysis Two researchers selected 16 second, third and fourth year student There are several approaches to data analysis within the nurses because their experiences were related to the area of interest different schools of phenomenology. Colaizzi, Giorgi, and Van that was studied. Data was collected through unstructured interviews, Kaam formulated three methods of data analysis, based on Husserl’s observations in clinical practice, and structured interviews immediately descriptive phenomenology. All three methods describe the meaning after patient care. The students reflected on the care of their patients of an experience through emergent themes. The researcher searches through rich in-depth narratives, which were taped and transcribed for common patterns elicited from specific experiences. Colaizzi’s verbatim and analyzed using Colaizzi’s method of analysis. The method instructs the researcher to validate the findings by returning researchers attempted to understand through the students’ descriptions, to the study participants, while Giorgi’s analysis negates the validation the meanings embedded in the nursing students’ statements in order of the participants. Giorgi deems it inappropriate to ask participants or to uncover common themes. Appreciation and support, quality of external judges for validation. Van Kaam’s method requires that inter mentoring, and students’ self-directness were the four themes that subjectivity be confirmed through expert judges [2]. emerged from the in-depth interviews. The results of the study were shared with six of the participants, who confirmed the findings as their Utrecht, the Dutch approach is the second school of own original descriptions, because the Colaizzi method supported phenomenological analysis. This approach combines description and returning to the participants to ensure credibility [6]. interpretation in uncovering thematic aspects of the experience. Van Manen utilizes this method to identify and interpret the meaning of According to Papp and Markkanen [6] Husserl’s phenomenological the phenomenon. There are three distinct options, which include the philosophy supports impartiality, where preconceived notions, bias holistic approach, whereby the researcher reads the text as a whole, or judgments are set aside, or bracketed. Papp and Markkanen [6] the selective approach, in which the researcher extracts essential asserted, “The researchers and research assistants carefully considered statements, and the detailed approach, where the researcher analyzes their own perceptions and preassumptions towards clinical practice in every sentence. After the themes are identified the researcher engages nurse education to enhance neutrality”. Although the researchers had a in a reflective process by returning to the participants for validation [2]. great deal of experience in nursing education they set aside their prior experiences in the clinical environment [8], so they would not instill Heidegger an interpretive hermeneutics utilizes the hermeneutic any bias during the research. circle method of analysis, where there is continual review and analysis between the parts and the whole of the text. The basic tenet A study based on Heidegger’s interpretive philosophy of the hermeneutic interpretive school of thought is that researchers Idczak [7] conducted a qualitative study entitled, “I am a Nurse: cannot remove themselves from the meanings extracted from the text. Nursing Students Learn the Art and Science of Nursing”. The study The researcher becomes a part of the phenomenon. Consequently, explored how nursing students interpreted their experiences of “being preconceived ideas or opinions are not bracketed [2]. in” nurse/patient interactions. The design was based on Heidegger’s

J Nurs Care Volume 1 • Issue 5• 1000119 ISSN: 2167-1168 JNC, an open access journal Citation: Reiners GM (2012) Understanding the Differences between Husserl’s (Descriptive) and Heidegger’s (Interpretive) Phenomenological Research. J Nurs Care 1:119. doi:10.4172/2167-1168.1000119

Page 3 of 3 interpretive (hermeneutic) phenomenology. The purpose of the study neutrality. The themes that emerged from the students’ descriptions was to understand how nurses make meaning of their experience of were discovered through Colaizzi’s method of data analysis, which is a “being in” nurse patient interactions. The researcher who was a nurse descriptive method that also encourages researchers to check credibility for twenty-nine years reported that she understood how nursing of their findings with the participants. students learned through classroom and clinical placements, but did In the interpretive article, authored by Idczak [7], which was based not know how they learned the “being of nursing” [7]. on Heidegger’s interpretive philosophy, the research question posed Twenty-eight sophomores enrolled in entry-level fundamentals of was based on the students’ interpretations not their descriptions of nursing course were selected to participate in the study. The students experiences of “being in” nurse/patient interactions. The author made it were instructed to electronically record their thoughts, feelings, and very clear that bias was considered advantageous to the research process, emotions related to their interactions with their assigned patients. since Heidegger’s interpretive philosophy purports that humans are The student nurses completed thirty-seven journal entries, where the embedded in their world and the researcher cannot and should not circular hermeneutic interpretive process of analysis was utilized. A negate their prior understanding and engagement in the subject under priori categories were identified through an extensive literature review, study. Idczak [7] explicitly defined the data analysis method, which which included the science of nursing, the art of nursing, caring, was indicative of the hermeneutic circle, which believes that shared presence, and being. Initially, the researcher interpreted the journal experience, for example through a priori categories would validate the entries in their entirety, and then each entry was coded in appropriate students’ interpretations of their nurse/patient interactions. Since the a priori categories. The entries were reread in order to discover similar researcher did not bracket their biases, there was no need to return to themes within an individual experience. Fear of interacting with the participants to ask if they confirmed the findings of the research, patients, developing confidence, becoming self-aware, connecting with because Heidegger’s philosophy asserted that the depth of involvement knowledge, and connecting with the patient were the five emergent of researchers would confirm credibility. themes that described how nursing students experienced nurse/patient interactions [7]. Conclusion In contrast to Husserl’s descriptive phenomenology, Heidegger’s Choice of an appropriate phenomenological research method that interpretive phenomenology eliminated bracketing, asserting that is congruent with the underlying philosophical tenets of either Husserl’s impartiality was impossible because researchers became enmeshed descriptive or Heidegger’s interpretive phenomenology is vital to the with the experience. Heidegger endorsed the hermeneutic circle, where credibility of the proposed research. Are you, the researcher, asking for understanding and interpretation of phenomenon was gained through description or interpretation? Do you believe that your preconceived shared knowledge and shared experiences [8]. Welch [9] stated, “As notions should be kept at abeyance or allowed to embrace the depth we understand something we are involved and as we are involved we and breadth of the analysis of the subject under study? Does your understand”. The analytic process of starting with a priori categories choice of an analysis methodology represent the underlying philosophy and ending with emerging themes was indicative of the interpretive of Husserl or Heidegger? Nurse researchers need to be careful when (hermeneutic) phenomenological method, which facilitated the choosing and naming their research approach, since their approach process of understanding how the students made meaning of their may have consequences for the quality of future research. nurse/patient interactions [7]. References The researcher believed the depth of the journal entries ensured the 1. Balls P (2009) Phenomenology in nursing research: methodology, interviewing credibility of the data, so she did not confirm with the participants if and transcribing. Nurs Times 105: 30-33. the findings were consistent with their entries. The researcher’s decision 2. Polit DF, Beck CT (2005) Essentials of nursing research: Methods, appraisal, not to confirm was based on her belief that her personal engagement and utilization. (6thedn), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia. and reflection during the study and the interpretive nature of the data 3. Creswell JW (1994) Research design: Qualitative & quantitative approaches. analysis method did not necessitate confirmation. The researcher (15thedn), Sage, Thousand Oaks. described in detail the circular process of interpretive data analysis [7]. 4. Dahlberg K, Drew N, Nystrom M (2008) Reflective lifeworld research. (2ndedn), Studentlitterayur, Sweden. Discussion 5. Lopez KA, Willis DG (2004) Descriptive versus interpretive phenomenology: As illustrated by the two distinct articles that utilized either the their contributions to nursing knowledge. Qual Health Res 14: 726-735. descriptive or interpretive phenomenological research methods, 6. Papp I, Markkanen M, von Bonsdorff M (2003) Clinical environment as a there is a unique difference between the two philosophical schools of learning environment: student nurses’ perceptions concerning clinical learning thought. In the descriptive article, authored by Papp and Markkanen experiences. Nurse Educ Today 23: 262-268. [6] the research question implied Husserl’s descriptive approach, since 7. Idczak SE (2007) I am a nurse: Nursing students learn the art and science of the authors were interested in the student nurses’ descriptions not nursing. Nurs Educ Perspect 28: 66-71. their interpretations about their perceptions of their clinical learning 8. Drew N (1998) A return to Husserl and researcher self-awareness. In Polifroni environments. Additionally, the authors asserted that they bracketed EC, Welch W (Eds) Perspectives on Philosophy of Science in Nursing: An Historical and Contemporary Anthology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, their biases, which is a distinguishing feature of Husserl’s descriptive Philadelphia. method, which is not part of Heidegger’s interpretive methodology. Papp and Markkanen [6] reported that the researchers and their assistants 9. Welch M (1998) Phenomenology and hermeneutics. In Polifroni EC, Welch W (Eds) Perspectives on Philosophy of Science in Nursing: An Historical and reflected on their personal perceptions, so that they would ensure Contemporary Anthology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.

J Nurs Care Volume 1 • Issue 5• 1000119 ISSN: 2167-1168 JNC, an open access journal