Experience without essentialism: on ‘posting’ phenomenology

Abstract

ABSTRACT In contemporary qualitative research, phenomenology is often dismissed by postqualitative inquiry (PQI) for clinging to a view of reality as fixed, self-evident, and containing inherent essences. The purpose of this article is to ask how committed phenomenologists might respond to these charges. Employing a somewhat paradoxical defense strategy, the article jumps to phenomenology’s defense by conceding most of PQI’s criticism, but arguing that these deficiencies are contingent theoretical assumptions that can (and should) be developed through dialogue with poststructuralist traditions like PQI. The article then delves into the process of ‘posting’ phenomenology. More specifically, it introduces postphenomenology, a contemporary approach that seeks to reconcile phenomenological insights with poststructuralist concerns and is explicitly anchored in an antiessentialist, relational ontology. Finally, the article argues that the inclusion of postphenomenological insights in PQI would enable a deeper comprehension of the intricate dynamics between humans, technologies, and the worlds that they inhabit.