Purchase Solution

Hermeneutics, Phenomenology & Philosophical Assumptions in Research

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

I am confused about Phenomenology and Hermeneutics. I need some thoughts notes about the differences between the two, as well as help with analyzing the ontological, axiological, epistemological, and methodological tenets or assumptions about them. What are
the challenges and strengths of phenomenology and hermeneutics in shaping practice and research. I have attached some articles that have some pertinent info in them.

Please see the following links for references:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15227897
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10849162
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12406114

Purchase this Solution

Solution Summary

The solution provides information, assistance and advise in tackling the task (see above) on the topic of philosophical assumptions and knowledge perspectives in research. Resources are listed for further exploration of the topic.

Solution Preview

Dear Student,
Hi and thank you for using Brainmass. The solution below should get you started. In this particular task, you are asking for help in putting together a discussion on the difference between phenomenology and hermeneutics. One good way to think about them is as camera lenses. Let's say your subject in the research is the subject you want to take a photograph of - these tenets, theories - they are the camera lenses you can choose to use to take a picture of them. Below, I have put together some ideas for you to use. Just let me know via the feedback section if you need further clarification. Remember - these concepts are not that difficult if you think about them in simplistic terms - strip them down to their function. Another good way to look at them are as genres.

You know how in the movies we have comedy, drama, horror and how, for each movie, there is a formula or a specific element that defines the genre? It's the same with this. Hermeneutics is about interpretation and phenomenology is the study of experience - if you put these two together as basic 'lenses' and add any of the additional tenets (i.e. axiological) - it's like you have a lens and a filter used to take the picture, or if we will use the analogy of a movie genre - it's like having the basic genre (i.e. Romance) with an added element of another sub-genre (i.e. Horror) and we have many examples of these (i.e. 'Twilight' for Romance-Horror-Drama, or 'Transformers' for Sci-fi-Action-Adventure). Below I have discussed the basics of these tenets. I sincerely hope that this will help.

Sincerely,
AE 105878/Xenia Jones

Philosophical Assumptions in Research

Scientists and researchers utilize a variety of strategies and methods to wrestle with the fundamentals of a subject of study. How should a subject be studied? How and by what methods should data be interpreted? If science is a way of studying and exploring something, then the philosophical assumptions behind a research are of utmost importance because it is the foundation of that knowledge - it guides the researcher how to think, what to think, how to and by what means should information be processed and interpreted so as t arrive at a conclusion. . Phenomenology is the study of experience based on the seminal work of psychologist Edmund Husser. Experience - its quality, its detail, the way it impacts the subject is unique. We all experience the world differently, even ...

Solution provided by:
Education
  • MPhil/PhD (IP), Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • MA, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
  • Certificate, Geva Ulpan (via Universita Tel Aviv)
  • BA, University of the Philippines
Recent Feedback
  • "Thank you!:)"
  • "Excellent, thank you!:)"
  • "Thank you for your timely help. I have submitted another posting (656038) and assigned it directly to you. Please help."
  • "Thank you so much for your timely help. Much appreciated."
  • "Thanks so much for your support."
Purchase this Solution


Free BrainMass Quizzes
Descartes Meditations on First Philosophy

Short quiz relating to Descartes

The World Health Organization

This quiz assesses the students knowledge about the World Health Organization. Although listed under “Philosophy” it is relevant to health care, political science, pre-med, and social scientist students as well.