Geo-Phenomenology: A Qualitative and Humanistic GIS Approach to Exploring Lived Experience

Abstract

Critical discussions are developing to combine geographic information systems (GIS) and qualitative methods as an alternative approach to traditional quantitative GIS, but the possibility of integrating spatial information technology and phenomenology is still unknown. This study explores a new qualitative and humanistic GIS approach called geo-phenomenology. It attempts to improve the ability to validate and authenticate findings and to gain a holistic understanding of the complex interplay among space, place, and human emotion through a combination of phenomenology, natural language processing methods, and GIS. To illustrate this approach, this study focuses on international students and examines the effects of geographic mobility on individuals’ sense of attachment and belonging. Importantly, it allows for a more sensitive approach to the spatial scale of material culture as a mediator of sense of place. The overlay of emotional mapping and land use provided a perspective for narrative interpretation and hypothesis building, ultimately leading to the discovery of key evidence determining the main themes of international students’ sense of place attachment and belonging. By combining quantitative emotion detection with qualitative phenomenological interpretation in GIS, this study concludes that geo-phenomenology can help us consider the rich nuances of lifeworlds from multiple perspectives.