Phenomenology : The question of validity and reliability

-

According to Edmund Husserl, the founder of phenomenological research method, the method of phenomenology is as rigrous as any other method and the validity of its results , steps, and the reliability of the method itself are beyond any blemish. However, viewed from the perspective of an objectivist paradigm , these claims do not seem plausible.
What actually we mean by the term validity? Validity actually means that what we are inferring from premises , or what we are concluding from the premises , actually follows from them. That we are well within the freamework of logic when we make a conclusion from premises.
What are the premises? Premises are statements on the basis of which a conclusion is drawn. In the case of deductive logic premises are already established truths or judgments. So, if one concludes , from the premises, All A's are B, Some C's are not A, therefore some C's are not B, then it is quite logical. However , in the case of inductive logic when the premises are to be formed from the particular cases, validity is to be guaranted in a different manner. Here quantitative methods or the method of natural sciences provide us with different means on ensuring validity. However, the logic remains same , and validity means , in almost all cases two things. First it is valid to draw the derived conclusion from the data, and that it is valid to generalize the drawn conclusion over other similar cases.
In quantitative or scientific method falsification of a theory means that it failed to explain one of the instances which it was supposed to explain. So, the theory , or the conclusion no longer remains valid, and both its internal and external validities are challenged. Internal validity means that the conclusion followed from the data and external validity means that it was right to generalize it over the similar cases. Thus, in scientific method , objectivity , in the form of availability of the chance of empirically varifying the results of a theory, or the testing process of a theory, provide with an oppurtunity to validate a theory.
In phenomenology objectivity is a bias, for phenomenology suspends belief in the objective world, it studies the subject and keeps its focus on the subject alone while turning away completely from the object. So, if a researcher establishes something about the inner experience of a person, or a group of people, that conclusion cannot be validated objectively.
So, how phenomenological research can be validated or can be considered as valid? In ensuring validity of phenomenological research we have to proceed stepwise. So, each step has its measures of validity. Let us see these measures one by one.
Validity
Sampling
Sampling should be logical, and sample should be purposefully drawn.
Data Collection
During data collection, the researcher has to excercise epoche' or bracketing. A researcher has to completely suspend his/her beliefs.
Data Analysis
During data analysis themes are to be selected as they emerge from the data. Although a researcher can thematize or focus a particular dimension at his/her discretion, yet there should be a logic for doing this.

Eidetic Reduction
Eidetic reduction for determining essences, should be carried without any biases. One has to imaginatively vary the example to see its possibilities and then from these possibilities one has to separate that which remained invariable in all the possibilities.

So, phenomenological research process establishes its validity in each of the steps. In making generalization one has to prove that what is being generalized is actually generalizable.

Reliability
Reliability of this method is to be ensured through clearly outlining and defining the steps involved. Thus, whoever wants to replicate the steps on the data , can easily do so to find out how reliable the proceedure was. Moreover, if there are certain generalizations made through the research, other researcher, through following the same proceedures should be able to find the same generalized conclusions.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Idealism and the Aims of Education

-
                                                                                                                                    Idealism Introduction Idealism is the metaphysical and epistemological doctrine that ideas or thoughts make up fundamental reality. Essentially it is any philosophy which argues that the only thing actually knowable is consciousness whereas we never can be sure that matter or anything in the outside world really exists thus the only the real things are mental entities not physical things which exist only in the sense that they are perceived. A broad definition of ideal...
Read more

Idealism and Philosophy of Education

-
Idealism Idealism is the oldest system of philosophy known to man. Its origins go back to ancient India in the East, and to Plato in the West. Its basic viewpoint stresses the human spirit as the most important element in life. The universe is viewed as essentially nonmaterial in its ultimate nature. Although Idealist philosophers vary enormously on many specifics, they agree on the following two points; the human spirit is the most important element in life; and secondly the universe is essentially nonmaterial in its ultimate nature.  Idealism should not be confused with the notion of high aspirations that is not what philosophers mean when they speak of Idealism. In the philosophic sense, Idealism is a system that emphasizes the pre-eminent importance of mind, soul, or spirit. It is possible to separate Idealism into different schools, but for our purposes we shall be content to identify only the most general assumptions of the Idealists in metaphysics, epistemology, and valu...
Read more

Plato: Stages of Education

-
Stages of education and teaching methods suggested by Plato Plato was a very important and famous educational thinker and Greek philosopher. He was the pupil of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle who have influenced the thinking of people from generation to generation. Plato has touched upon all the important problems and ideas that have ever aroused the interest of the human mind. Plato gave immense importance to education. In his treatise "The republic", Plato has dealt with education in details. In The Republic, he has discussed his aim of Education, his notion of how education should proceed at different stages of life, and about the content of education and a well defined curriculum. for it. In the republic he has drawn up a blue print of what our ideal society should be and what role education has to play in the maintence of justice and the functions of different social classes.  In “Laws’ he says repeatedly: “Education is the first and the fairest thing that t...
Read more