Phenomenological

Narrative qualitative research is both simple and complex.  There is poetry that is perhaps absent in other qualitative research.  The “circle” (Creswell, 2007) of activities both relates to and goes beyond the process.  In the narrative, one needs only one, maybe more, individuals to study.  In this way the research reminds me of single subject research which follows the familiar rhythm of introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis, results, and recommendations for further study. 

Narrative research might involve a chronological sequence; there might be a more holistic theme, with wandering back and forth in time.  Indeed, those versed in narrative rather encourage experimental structures, and monitor development.  You might want to take the narrative for a walk in the park and just groove, right?  Then the serious work of research begins, whatever the approach chosen.  There is the issue of reflexivity and representation.  The audience and voice of the author must be considered.  There are endless transpositions of test, complex encoding, quotations.  Lest the eager and excited young researcher thinks he still has it made, he must step back and examine the structure, the narrative techniques and devices that are used to bring the deserving person’s story to light.  The researcher might prefer as rhetorical structure a flexible process that changes with the story, while the phenomenologist plods along with the traditional modes of a research report.

Phenomenological research has its own built-in structure of flexibility and creativity.  There are important meanings to be discovered.  The study develops itself .  The researcher guides it through to discover meaning in text and structure to search for the essential quality to report.  The organization of the report, unlike narrative or single study, includes in the very beginning statements of introduction a personal statement by the author.  Why was he drawn to this realm (please do not make me say topic!).  How may he benefit society by his work?  One feels during the study of AIDS that there is a marvelously human statement being made, just as during the narrative of Vonnie Lee, the sensitivity and caring of the researcher is quite obvious.  The phenomenologist then proceeds to a traditional review of literature, methods, data analysis, summary, and recommendations for future studies, following along closely to the steps of data analysis.  The narrative researcher’s discussions and structures are applicable no matter the approach.  Is one more structured than the other?  It might appear to be so, but careful analyses are present in both.

My reaction to the study about AIDS patients was intense.  I lost one of my friends to AIDS before there was even a word for the disease.  He had just received his Ph. D. in psychology.  He wanted to help others.  On a long walk in the Hollywood Hills one hazy early evening, he confided that he probably had the immune deficiency disease that everyone was talking about.  He did.  They just kept dying:  it seemed the best, proudest, and most genius of the art and performance world, gone.  My final thought was:  I would so very dearly loved to have them a little while longer.  But we are all dying, after all.