Getting it quite wrong: Van Manen and Smith on Phenomenology

TY - JOUR

T1 - Getting it quite wrong

T2 - Van Manen and Smith on Phenomenology

AU - Zahavi, Dan

PY - 2019/5/1

Y1 - 2019/5/1

N2 - Max van Manen and Jonathan Smith have recently had an exchange in Qualitative Health Research concerning their respective use of phenomenology. I welcome the attempt to get clearer on what phenomenology amounts to and I agree with van Manen that an overly arbitrary use of the term will lead to an erosion of the reputation of phenomenology. However, I think both of them are to blame for promoting various confusions concerning the nature of phenomenology. The aim of my article is to make some critical remarks concerning van Manen’s and Smith’s understanding of phenomenology and to suggest alternative resources for qualitative researchers interested in phenomenology

AB - Max van Manen and Jonathan Smith have recently had an exchange in Qualitative Health Research concerning their respective use of phenomenology. I welcome the attempt to get clearer on what phenomenology amounts to and I agree with van Manen that an overly arbitrary use of the term will lead to an erosion of the reputation of phenomenology. However, I think both of them are to blame for promoting various confusions concerning the nature of phenomenology. The aim of my article is to make some critical remarks concerning van Manen’s and Smith’s understanding of phenomenology and to suggest alternative resources for qualitative researchers interested in phenomenology

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - phenomenology

KW - research strategies

KW - methodology

KW - theory development

KW - research evaluation

KW - qualitative

U2 - 10.1177/1049732318817547

DO - 10.1177/1049732318817547

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30565516

SN - 1049-7323

VL - 29

SP - 900

EP - 907

JO - Qualitative Health Research

JF - Qualitative Health Research

IS - 6

ER -