Journal articles on the topic 'Van Manen's existentials'

Communication affects us as human beings, whether via virtual worlds or the material one, and involves a variety of issues. Some are issues both worlds have in common, while others are unique, depending on the individuals involved, the communities inhabited, and the mediums utilized. Prior research has demonstrated that, for inhabitants who reside both in the virtual and the material, there is significant effect on the experience of both worlds stemming from both worlds. This study combines Gergen's Saturated Self theory, Hamman's Virtual Community theory, and Van Manen's four phenomenological existentials to posit both an additional four existentials unique to virtual communication and a theoretical model that can be used to chart the impact of each world upon the other. The Cyber-Synchronicity model will aid in a deeper understanding of the meaning and impact of synchronous and synonymous participation in a virtual community.

The body is central to the experience of aging. In this metasynthesis, the authors located, analyzed, and reconceptualized phenomenological research on how life is experienced within and through the body after 85 years. Sandelowski and Barroso’s metasynthesis method was employed. Seven databases were searched for primary phenomenological studies. After systematic screening and quality appraisal, 19 studies were included for review. Analysis was guided by Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s existential philosophy of embodiment. Findings were organized using Max van Manen’s reflective lifeworld existentials. Four ontological dimensions emerged, namely, being in a body (corporeality), being in time (temporality), being in place (spatiality), and being with others (relationality). Each dimension captures a distinct experiential dimension of this stage of the life course. The results suggest vast heterogeneity in the ontological experience of aging, supporting the view that diversity grows with age. The ability to adapt to multidimensional losses was identified as a source of resilience.

This article aims to describe the phenomenon of spirituality in music education by means of a model derived from the academic literature on the topic. Given the centrality of lived experience within this literature, we adopted a hermeneutic phenomenological theoretical framework to describe the phenomenon. The NCT (noticing, collecting, and thinking) model was used for the qualitative document analysis. Atlas.ti 7, computer-aided qualitative data analysis software, was used to support and organize the inductive qualitative data analysis process. After data saturation, we used Van Manen’s lifeworld existentials (corporeality, relationality, spatiality, and temporality) to help organize the many quotes, codes, and categories that emerged from analyzing the literature. The model that results assigns codes to quotes and codes to categories, which in turn appear within one of these four lifeworlds. This article not only offers a working conceptual model of spirituality in music education but may also help to foster an awareness of spiritual experience in pedagogical contexts and thus contribute to what Van Manen calls “pedagogic thoughtfulness and tact.”

In the Colombian context there has been an increase in the interest for publishing in high impact academic journals. This is due to various factors such as institutional requirements, hiring requirements, categorization of teachers and academic visibility. The purpose of this research-based paper, as a decolonial report, is to portray the central events and the causal connections of three female Colombian authors in their process as writers for academic purposes. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews that emphasized on Van Manen's (1997) four lifeworld existential dimensions that include lived time, lived space, lived body, and lived relation. These dimensions helped us uncover the essences of lived experience. Results indicated that central events and causal connections affect the authors’ experiences in their process as writers. The key ingredients female authors judge as important events were social interactions with mentors and the context.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the meaning of transition to self-management in sickle cell disease. Design/Method: Twelve audio-recorded semistructured interviews were conducted with a sample of 21- to 25-year-olds recruited from a comprehensive sickle cell center in the northeast region of the United States. Data were analyzed using an existential framework according to van Manen’s phenomenological method. Findings: The meaning of transition to self-management was found in lived time, space, body, and human relationship. The emerging themes highlighted in this article include: Best Mother Ever, Growing up in the Hospital, I’m Not Trying that Again, Doing it on My Own, Living Day-by-Day, and Not a Kid any Longer. The themes reflected meaning and insight into this unique experience. Conclusion/Practice Implications: Study results emphasize the culturally constructed meaning of transition to sickle cell disease self-management and need to integrate transcultural perspectives into nursing practice to support this emerging phenomenon.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is older adults’ most common pain complaint and is associated with many physical and psychosocial consequences, which have been quantitatively examined. However, little research has qualitatively examined the experience itself of CLBP in later life. Study objective was to understand older adults’ lived CLBP experience. Guided by van Manen’s phenomenological method, 21 pain clinic patients aged 66 to 83 completed semistructured interviews. Under the main theme “living a life full of pain,” results are reflected in four existential subthemes: (a) Corporeality: The pain is relentless and constantly monitored, (b) Temporality: To live with pain is to live by pacing day and night, (c) Relationality: Pain creates limits that can be tested or obeyed, and (d) Spatiality: Manipulating the space around me to accommodate the pain. Findings improve understanding of the patient experience of late life CLBP and highlights the importance of empathy and patient-centeredness when treating older adults.

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of eight self-identified Filipino physician-turned nurses working in Las Vegas in the United States. Participants were interviewed, and audiotaped interviews were transcribed verbatim. Meanings of significant statements and clusters of themes and subthemes were then generated using the Colaizzi’s (1978) method. In addition, van Manen’s (1990) existentials of lived world was adopted to interpret the collected data. The results of the study revealed that the experiences of these Filipino physician-turned nurses involved multidimensional challenges captured in three themes in context of cross-national and transprofessional migration. As a result, they faced a “double whammy” adjustment to a new cultural and work environment common to all foreign nurses (cultural adaptation) and unique identity/role change from physician to nurse (transprofessional adaptation)—that made their transition especially challenging, resulting in short-lived nursing careers at the bedside. Tailored transition programs for physician-turned foreign nurses are needed to address their transprofessional adaptation. In addition, costs and benefits of recruiting and employing physician-turned foreign nurses as direct caregivers need to be reconsidered in light of this study’s findings.

Background: Evidence indicates that people whose mental health problems lead them to require psychiatric hospitalization are at a significantly increased risk of suicide, and that the time immediately following discharge after such hospitalizations is a particularly high-risk time. Aims: This paper reports on phenomenological findings from a federally funded, mixed-methods study that sought to better understand the observed increased risk for suicide following discharge from an inpatient psychiatric service. Methods: A purposive sample of 20 recently discharged former suicidal inpatients was obtained. Data were collected in hermeneutic interviews lasting between 1 h and 2 h and analyzed according to van Manen’s (1997 ) interpretation of hermeneutic phenomenology. Results: Two key themes, “existential angst at the prospect of discharge” and “trying to survive while living under the proverbial ‘sword of Damocles’” were induced. Each of these was comprised of five themes with the first key theme (which is the focus of this paper) encompassing the following: “Feeling scared, anxious, fearful and/or stressed,” “Preparedness,” “Leaving the place of safety,” “Duality and ambivalence,” and “Feel like a burden.” Conclusions: Early exploration of and reconciling of patients’ expectations regarding inpatient care for their suicidality would be empirically based interventions that could diminish the postdischarge risk for further suicide attempts.

Background: Evidence indicates that people whose mental health problems lead them to require psychiatric hospitalization are at a significantly increased risk of suicide, and the period of time immediately following discharge after such hospitalizations appears to be a particularly high-risk time. Aims: This paper reports on phenomenological findings from a federally funded, mixed-methods study that sought to better understand the observed increased risk for suicide following discharge from an inpatient psychiatric service. Methods: A purposive sample of 20 recently discharged former suicidal inpatients was obtained. Data were collected from the participants in hermeneutic interviews lasting between 1 h and 2 h and analyzed according to van Manen’s (1997) interpretation of hermeneutic phenomenology. Results: Two key themes were induced: “Existential Angst at the Prospect of Discharge” and “Trying to Survive While Living Under the Proverbial ‘Sword of Damocles’.” Each of these was comprised of five themes with the second key theme – the focus of this paper – encompassing the following: “Needing Postdischarge Support,” “Feeling Lost, Uncertain and Disorientated,” “Feeling Alone and Isolated,” “Suicide Remains an Option,” and “Engaging in Soothing, Comforting Behaviors.” Conclusions: The authors conclude that early exploration of and reconciling patients’ expectations regarding inpatient care for their suicidality would appear to be an empirically based intervention that could diminish the postdischarge risk for further suicide attempts.

Abstract Background Sexual function in those living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is known to be affected by their condition, with impact on their psychosocial well-being. Little is known about the causality of low sexual functions scores and their contribution to low quality of life reports. The aim of this study was to explore how intimacy and sexuality is experienced in the context of IBD. Methods This was a phenomenological study guided by van Manen’s methodology. Data were collected from 43 participants from interviews and narrative accounts submitted via Google Forms. Reflection on four existential domains (body, relationships, space and time) and thematic analysis were used to interpret the data. Results Four themes were generated from data analysis: Otherness of the sick body, Interrupted connectedness, Missing out on life fullness and Fragmented openness. These led to the overarching theme Sexuality as lived incompleteness, which reflected the essence of the experiences described by participants. Their experiences were deeply embedded in everyday life, and the IBD posed an obstacle to intimacy and sexuality, negatively affecting their life, relationships, family planning and their social position, imposing limitations and isolation. Conclusion IBD has a significant impact on sexual well-being with negative effects on overall quality of life, which may be unknown to healthcare professionals, therefore remain unaddressed. A better understanding of the potential issues could help healthcare professionals identify and address concerns and worries related to sexual well-being, and approach them in a reflective, holistic manner in situations arising in practice.

Abstract This study explores the lived experience of democratic civic education for middle school students. Grounded in the tradition of hermeneutic phenomenology as guided by Heidegger (1962), Gadamer (1960/2003), Casey (1993), and Levinas (1961/2004), among others, the framework for conducting action-sensitive research, as described by van Manen (2003), guides this inquiry as I endeavor to uncover what it means for students to embody civic education. Twenty-nine students are taped engaging in discussions, debates, simulations, and other civic education. Twelve students self-select to engage in reflective writing and conversations about their experiences. The existential theme of lived body emerges from this inquiry. The importance of embodying one’s learning, as well as connecting physically and socially to one’s society are apparent. The students’ learning through their corporeal experience serves to create the civil body politic of the classroom and inform their behavior outside of the classroom. Insights from this study may inform curriculum theorists and developers, policy-makers, and classroom teachers. Recommendations are made to transform the social studies for students to capitalize on their bodily experiences within the classroom so that they may grow in their role as a citizen. Students may then embody the ideals essential in civic education and democratic societies

In his highly insightful and wide-ranging rebuttal article “Doing Phenomenology on the Things,” van Manen makes the important claim that “the mission of modern phenomenology transcends foundational and exegetical philosophical theorizing” (2019, p. 3). I take this claim seriously and put forward this article as an exercise in practical lifeworld phenomenological reflection. By lifeworld I refer to the environing world in which we are enmeshed and in which we live and breathe and have our being; it penetrates our awareness of things while at the same time offering the possibility of reprieve from complete enmeshment (submergence) in the form of existential reflection on the things, events, doings, goings-on, etc., that collectively constitute the phenomenological concept of world. By phenomenological reflection I refer to written analyses (texts) that approach mundane lifeworld phenomena in a manner or style that seeks to show or reveal aspects of the lifeworld that in the ordinary course of everyday life remain hidden from view…aspects of the lifeworld that while they may be glimpsed fleetingly from time to time, remain largely hidden, i.e. in a state of unrealized concealment. The article thus takes seriously the Husserlian call for a return “to the things themselves.” And while the ostensible topic is an old (or older) used car, the defacto topic is “us,” or perhaps better stated, the actual topic arises at the meeting place where the “us” (as subject) and “an older car” (as object) arrive and conjoin. It is at the place of this meeting between self and world that the phenomenological analysis can begin. The article emphasizes the practical import of this meeting, this engagement—it is not regarded as a matter of purely abstract philosophical theorizing nor as a purely descriptive (empirical) matter, although it is also that in part too.

Aim/Purpose: This article investigates thirteen students’ lived experiences on an online PhD programme, aiming to develop a better understanding of the nature of doing a PhD online. Background: A large number of adult students with full-time professional roles and other social responsibilities have returned to universities to pursue their doctoral degree in order to advance their personal and professional lives. Online PhD programmes are now one of the viable choices for those who wish to combine their PhD study with other professional and personal roles. However, little has been known about students’ lived experiences of doing a PhD online, which are seemingly different from those of other doctoral students who are doing their studies in more conventional doctoral education settings. Methodology: The present qualitative study employs a phenomenological approach to develop an in-depth understanding of doctoral students’ lived experiences in doing their PhD studies online. The present study was conducted in an online PhD programme at a Department of Education in a research-intensive university based in the United Kingdom (UK). Thirteen students voluntarily participated in a semi-structured interview. The interview transcripts were analysed following Van Manen’s (2016) explanations for conducting a thematic analysis. Contribution: The paper presents seven themes that illustrate the essential nature of doing a PhD online, answering the two questions: (1)What are the lived experiences of online PhD students? and (2) What are the particular aspects of the programme that structure the experiences? Findings: The characteristics of online PhD studies are multifaceted, including different elements of PhD education, part-time education, and online education. Those aspects interact and create a unique mode of educational experiences. In a more specific sense, the journey of an online PhD – from the moment of choosing to do a PhD online to the moment of earning a PhD – is guided by multiple, often conflicting, aspects of different doctoral education models such as the professional doctorate, the research doctorate, and the taught doctorate. The present study demonstrates that experiential meanings of doing a PhD online are constructed by the dynamic interplay between the following six elements: PhDness, onlineness, part-timeness, cohortness, practice-orientedness, and independence. Throughout the long journey, students become better practitioners and more independent researchers, engaging in multiple scholarly activities. Recommendations for Practitioners: It is essential to understand the unique characteristics and experiences of PhD students who choose to pursue a PhD in online programmes. Based on the understanding, online doctoral educators can provide adequate academic supports suitable for this particular group. The study findings highlight the importance of supporting students’ adjustment to a new learning environment at the beginning of the programme and their transition from Part 1 to Part 2. Recommendation for Researchers: It is crucial to develop a separate set of narratives about online PhD education. Common assumptions drawn from our existing knowledge about more conventional doctoral education are not readily applicable in this newly emerging online education setting. Impact on Society: It is important for online PhD students and potential ones in the planning stage to better understand the nature of doing a PhD online. Given the growing popularity of doctoral education, our findings based on the reflective narratives of thirteen online PhD students in this paper can support their informed decision and successful learning experiences. Future Research: A comparative study can more closely examine similarities and differences among diverse models of doctoral education to capture the uniqueness of online PhD programmes. It is worthwhile to investigate students’ experiences in online PhD programmes in disciplines other than education. A more longitudinal approach to following an entire journey of PhD students can be useful to develop a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of an online PhD. Some critical questions about students’ scholarly identity that emerged from the present study remain unanswered. A follow-up phenomenological research can focus on the existential meanings of being a scholar to this group of students.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the medication experiences of Hispanic people living with HIV/AIDS. Specific aims were to describe their current medication experiences and to describe how they viewed their medication history in order to determine essential themes for improving culturally-appropriate medication therapy management services.
 Methods: A qualitative, phenomenological research methodology was employed. Ten adults living with HIV/AIDS were audiotaped during semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted in Spanish. In addition to audiotaping, field notes were taken. Thematic analysis of text was done to obtain themes consistent with the research objectives. Analysis was accomplished in two phases. The first phase applied Van Manen's lifeworld existentials of lived body, lived time, lived relation and lived space as the organizing framework for identifying themes. The second phase identified "essential themes" using holistic, selective, and detailed approaches that were applied to the themes identified in the first phase.
 Results: The results showed that lifeworld existentials were relevant medication experiences for Hispanic patients living with HIV/AIDS and their medication-taking behavior during their lives. Ten themes were identified. From these, we identified an overall "essential theme" comprised of: (1) Duality of Living with HIV/AIDS and (2) Primacy of Medications for Hispanic HIV/AIDS patients.
 Conclusions: The findings revealed that the medication taking experiences for Hispanic people living with HIV/AIDS can be described in terms of the duality of living with HIV/AIDS as "living dead" patients and in terms of the centrality that medications take in their lives, even to the point of a spiritual level.
 Type: Original Research

Background: Depression among college students is an escalating problem and could have serious consequences such as suicide. There has been an increase in use of antidepressants on college campuses in United States. However, an in depth understanding of this phenomenon from the college student's perspective is lacking in the literature.
 Objective: This study examined college students' experiences and treatment decision making during their depression treatment.
 Methods: A longitudinal, phenomenological research methodology was completed. The participants were nine students who were taking antidepressants for diagnosis of depression. Recruitment was done via brochures placed at University bulletin boards, and a mental health clinic. Three audio taped, unstructured interviews were conducted with each participant over four months. The central question asked was: What has the experience of treating depression been for you? Analysis of text was done using Van Manen's lifeworld existentials of lived body, lived time, lived relation and lived space as the organizing framework.
 Results: Thirteen themes were identified within the four lifeworlds. The results showed that lived relation with providers was important for college students' decision to both initiate and continue antidepressant use. Students' role was defined in conjunction with provider's role by them as wanting to be a 'player' in their treatment decisions and needing to be 'acknowledged' as such by their providers.
 Conclusions: Overall, the underlying essential theme of ‘autonomy’ was portrayed by the students’ experiential accounts of their depression treatment and treatment decision making.
 
 Type: Original Research

ABSTRACT Objective: To understand the experience of people living with Chronic Kidney Disease who have been transplanted, from the meanings constructed based on the experienced phenomenon. Method: Hermeneutic-phenomenological study based on the five lifeworld existentials, according to Van Manen’s theoretical framework. Eleven transplanted patients participated in the study and data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews, after approval of the study by the Ethics Committee of the University of Antioquia. Results: The theme of Living with Chronic Kidney Disease emerged, and the subthemes were grouped as lifeworld existentials of Temporality: something unexpected, being present and not seeing it, being young and sick. Relationality: support, feeling stuck and Terminal Chronic Renal Failure. Spatiality: changes in life, sadness and depression. Corporeality: body deterioration and changes in sex life. Materiality: effects on the economic status. Conclusions: The care provided to people must be oriented in order to recognize their individualities, understanding what the illness means for the individual and his family, how they live with it and what the changes are, leading them to modify their lives and start a long process, such as living with a chronic disease.

The aim of this study was to describe the phenomenology of the body after 85 years, addressing the following question: What is the experience of the body at this age? Within the paradigm of existential phenomenology, this study was philosophically and methodologically underpinned by embodiment theory, positioning the body as the starting point for the exploration of lived experience. In-depth interviews with 20 purposively selected individuals were analyzed using van Manen’s context-sensitive phenomenological orientation. Findings indicated that the body was experienced primarily in negative terms, as compromising engagement in meaningful activity, independence, safety, vitality, dignity, and identity. Participants coped with bodily changes through adaptation, humor, and acceptance. In addition, participants viewed their unreliable and at times unfamiliar body, as distinct from their sense of self. This research addresses the current lack of subjective accounts of bodily and embodied experiences in this group, combating assumptive views and contributing insightful understanding.