Hermeneutic phenomenology is a branch of interpretive phenomenology that focuses on the meaning of lived experiences, contrasting with descriptive phenomenology, which seeks objective universal essences. Developed by Heidegger, interpretive phenomenology emphasizes the role of language and the observer's entanglement with the phenomena, while descriptive phenomenology relies on techniques like bracketing to analyze experiences. Hermeneutic phenomenology is increasingly applied across various social sciences, particularly in fields like nursing and mental health.

1. Hermeneutic
Phenomenology

2. Hermeneutic Phenomenology is a particular type of
phenomenology among a range of phenomenological
methodologies, usually classified into two camps,
namely the Descriptive phenomenology and the
Interpretive phenomenology.

3. Descriptive Phenomenology or also known as
Transcendental Phenomenology was developed by
Edmund Husserl while Interpretive Phenomenology or
known as Hermeneutic Phenomenology or Existential
Phenomenology was developed by Martin Heidegger.

4. Hermeneutic or Interpretive phenomenology is used to
interpret the meaning of lived experiences and communicate
the interpretation textual or symbolically while Descriptive or
Transcendental phenomenology is based on discovering the
objective universal essences of lived experiences and
communicating them through pure description
(Newberry, 2012).

5. Interpretive phenomenology is also defined as the
interpretation of text or language by an observer, or the “ art
and science of interpretation” and also can be used as a
methodology or enhancement of phenomenology. (Sloan and
Bowie, 2014)

6. Descriptive and Interpretive methodologies share four
common feature:
1. Description- description of the phenomena
2. Reduction- is a process that involves suspending and
bracketing the phenomena
3. Essence- is the core meaning of an individual’s
experience
4. Intentionality- refers to consciousness since
individual’s are always conscious.
(Kafle, 2011)

7. According to Husserl, “ the observe could transcend the
phenomena and meanings being investigated to take a global
view of the essence discovered; an objectiviszation of the
meanings of human experiences. And also, the key to study a
phenomenon was through consciousness and grasping of the
ultimate essences of the unique experience. However,
identifying essences requires phenomenological reduction or
also known as bracketing. Bracketing claims to remove
distortion of perception.
Phenomenology
focuses on people’s
perceptions of the world
or the perception of the
“things in their
appearing”.
But there is a variation between descriptive and
interpretive phenomenology on this aspect.

8. In contrast, Heidegger’s view was “ that the observer could not remove
him or herself from the process of essence- identification, that he or she
existed with the phenomena and the essences . His central view was the
use of language and the interpretation of a person’s meaning –making,
their attribution of meaning to phenomena.
Disagreeing with Husserl, Heidegger also suggested that a philosopher
cannot investigate “ things in their appearing” to identify their essence
while remaining neutral or detached from the things . This means “ that it
is impossible to bracket off to identify the essence of a phenomena.
( Langdridge 2007 in Sloa n and Bowe, 2014)

9. Between Descriptive and Hermeneutic phenomenology, Hermeneutic
phenomenology is more complex. Its elements of temporality and ‘being-in-the-
world” make this variation possible. Under Heidegger’s hermeneutic
phenomenology, “the participants’ existence and relation to the world around
the philosopher is also accounted, to provide more clarity about a phenomena
for the philosopher, and more practical applications of the approach to a wider
range of scenarios to which phenomenology might be applied.” ( Sloan and
Bowe, 2014)

10. As a methodology, descriptive and hermeneutic phenomenologies also
vary significantly:
In Descriptive phenomenology,
• Has a technique called “ bracketing off”
• Its focus is the correlation of the noema ( the “what” ) of experience
and the noesis ( how it is experienced)
• If the phenomena was identified or analyzed, descriptive
phenomenology considers its work done.
• The researcher can do whatever she/he wants with the outcomes

11. In Hermeneutic phenomenology,
• Has approaches that recommend to the researchers to interpret the
meanings found in relation to phenomena
• Suggest the analysis of text to find these meanings and allow
interpretation
• It’s focus is on understanding the meaning of experience
• Prefers not to formalize an analytical method

12. According to Van Manen, to apply the hermeneutic phenomenology, a researcher
has to apply the skill of reading texts, such as the text of transcripts, that is, the
spoken accounts of personal experience. These spoken accounts are what Manen
referred to a “ isolating themes”. These isolating themes can be views as written
interpretation of live experienced.

13. Using Manen’s words, Sloan and Bowe notes that any application of
hermeneutic phenomenology requires examination of text, to reflect on its
content to discover something meaningful.

14. Descriptive and Hermeneutic phenomenology also differ in terms of the role of
reflexivity.
Reflexivity is a “ person’s reflection upon or examination of a situation or
experience. It can help in interpreting the meanings discovered, or add value to
those types of interpretation. This describe the process in which researchers
are conscious of and reflective about the ways in which their questions,
methods, and subject position might impact on the data or the psychological
knowledge produced in a study. ( Sloan and Bowe, 2014)

15. Reflexivity in hermeneutic phenomenology is where the researchers uses
empathy or relevant prior experience as an aid to data analysis and/or
interpretation of meanings while in Descriptive Phenomenology,
reflexivity has no place. It is antithesis to the principle of bracketing out
influences on the phenomena.

16. The influence of descriptive phenomenology and hermeneutic
phenomenology is visible within the field of qualitative investigate
methods. However, hermeneutic or interpretive phenomenology is
more prominent being listed as one of various qualitative
methodologies of the social sciences. It is also applied to many sorts of
qualitative studies in the human sciences.

17. Tan et al., (2009, 2) noted the application or use of hermeneutic
phenomenology in recent years in various applied disciplines such a
nursing, social work, mental health, and in the study of the experience of
hope and grief.

18. The end