Discovering Meaning-Making in A Child Custody Context: The Combined Benefits of Using van Manen’s Phenomenology and A Critical Lens

Presenter Information

Beth Archer-KuhnFollow

Location

1052

Format Type

Event

Format Type

Paper

Start Date

January 2019

End Date

January 2019

Abstract

Phenomenology as a methodology reveals lived experience (van Manen, 2017); an excellent methodology to help us understand the parent perceptions and experiences of child custody decision-making. Qualitative researchers have explored the ways in which lived experience is influenced by issues of culture and gender (Kall & Zeiler, 2014). Yet, in this study there were some limitations in not fully exposing the potential analysis of culture and gender. In this paper, I explain how the key tenets of phenomenology, epoche and reduction, revealed the importance of custody status for participants, and also discuss how differences in gender was rendered invisible in the initial analysis. The flexible nature of phenomenology allowed me to use a critical lens after the initial analysis to consider another understanding of the parent experience, while still revealing lived experience. These new understandings better position us for social justice work.

Keywords

Phenomenology, Lived Experience, Child Custody Decision-Making, Critical Theories

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Discovering Meaning-Making in A Child Custody Context: The Combined Benefits of Using van Manen’s Phenomenology and A Critical Lens

1052

Phenomenology as a methodology reveals lived experience (van Manen, 2017); an excellent methodology to help us understand the parent perceptions and experiences of child custody decision-making. Qualitative researchers have explored the ways in which lived experience is influenced by issues of culture and gender (Kall & Zeiler, 2014). Yet, in this study there were some limitations in not fully exposing the potential analysis of culture and gender. In this paper, I explain how the key tenets of phenomenology, epoche and reduction, revealed the importance of custody status for participants, and also discuss how differences in gender was rendered invisible in the initial analysis. The flexible nature of phenomenology allowed me to use a critical lens after the initial analysis to consider another understanding of the parent experience, while still revealing lived experience. These new understandings better position us for social justice work.