Phenomenological Process Research Articles

Challenges of having a child with thalassaemia major: a phenomenological study.

Thalassaemia major is a chronic inherited illness that requires everlasting treatment with blood transfusions and chelating drug therapies. Primary caregivers, especially mothers, encounter many challenges when dealing with their affected child. This study aimed to explore challenges facing Jordanian mothers when having a child with thalassaemia major. A descriptive phenomenological approach was used. Mothers were selected purposefully from two major thalassaemia treatment clinics in Jordan. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted and supported by a pre-prepared interview agenda. Colaizzi's process of descriptive phenomenology was used for analysing interviewees' transcripts. A total of 23 Jordanian mothers joined the study. A number of formulated meanings, categories and clusters of themes were instrumental in the emergence of three main themes: 'unprecedented psychosocial distress', 'additional financial burden' and 'deficiency of knowledge and its sources'. The study revealed that rearing a child with thalassaemia entails suffering from different forms of challenges. Psychological distress, social isolation, worries, and fear of the disease and its future consequences were reported. Mothers showed that the added financial burden resulting from frequent hospitalisation and unpaid leave was a challenge. Deficiency in knowledge, including lack of knowledge about the disease and lack of sources of knowledge, was another challenge. Health education is a highly acknowledged and valued approach to lowering distress and challenges associated with rearing a thalassaemic child.

Hyenas of the Limpopo: “Illicit Labour Recruiting,” Assisted Border Crossings, and the Social Politics of Movement Across South Africa’s Border with Zimbabwe

ABSTRACTThis article discusses the negotiation of undocumented cross-border movement, or assisted border crossings, at Beitbridge, South Africa’s border with Zimbabwe. By reading border practices as arising from a complex synthesis of state regulatory norms with social relations that shape everyday encounters with the Beitbridge border space, the article argues that assisted border crossings are temporally, structurally and experientially determined. The article proposes the local concept of ukutshokotsha as a way of understanding “border struggles” that shape this “morphogenesis.” Located in historical, regional, political-economic, as well as experiential contexts, assisted border crossings are analyzed as rooted in everyday encounters with a fraught border space, as opposed solely to the border’s official institutional norms. The article argues that a focus on border practices is important in as far as it privileges the complex agency of disparate border actors, of the border, and of the shifting meanings of borders that emerge from everyday practices. By describing the colonial style “illicit labour recruiting” and post-independence “assisted border crossings” as a socio-historical, phenomenological, and political process, the article emphasizes the active role of middlemen in shaping the nature and meaning of the Beitbridge border and of the political economic organization of cross-border movement in contemporary Southern Africa. The article argues that the social politics of movement across the Beitbridge border is as much a contingency of history, a material, social and existential aspect of contemporary border practices, and a characteristic of everyday forms of Southern African state formation in a general context of socio-economic crisis.

“I had no idea what a complicated business eating is…”: a qualitative study of the impact of dysphagia during stroke recovery

Aim: Persons with dysphagia following stroke may experience uncomfortable symptoms such as persistent coughing, choking and poor salivary management. They may also spend long periods of time unable to eat or drink or with restrictions on oral intake. Experiences of dysphagia post-stroke are richly described in unsolicited narratives such as autobiographies on the stroke event, which often include details of the author’s journey through their stroke recovery. The aim of this study is to use autobiographical accounts to explore the experiences of those living with dysphagia following stroke.Method: Published autobiographies narrating the author’s experiences of living with dysphagia following stroke were sourced. Ten autobiographies were retrieved and the texts were manually inspected. All references to eating, drinking and swallowing were extracted and pooled to form the data set. A qualitative approach using a six-step interpretive phenomenological analysis process was taken to analyze this data set.Results: A wide range of interconnected themes emerged from the data, allowing further synthesis into six overarching super-ordinate themes. These six super-ordinate themes were: “physical consequences of dysphagia”; “process of recovery”; “coping and adjusting”; “changed relationships”; “society” and “control”.Conclusions: This study highlights the unique contribution of autobiographical accounts in developing our understanding of living with dysphagia following stroke. The findings emphasize the significant emotional and social impact of dysphagia during the stroke recovery process and add further depth to our understanding of the experience of this clinical group.Implications for RehabilitationAutobiographical accounts often hold valuable first-hand information on patient perspectives and journeys, which when viewed through the eyes of a qualitative researcher, can add depth to our understanding of particular healthcare experiences.Persons who experience dysphagia as a result of stroke travel a complex rehabilitation journey, involving the interaction of many physical, emotional and social considerations.Healthcare professionals should be aware of not only the physical, but also the significant psychosocial consequences of living with dysphagia following stroke.Further research is required in this field, so that the experiences of these persons can be better understood and findings can be used to contribute to high-quality and evidence-based service delivery.

Newlywed Couple Leisure: Couple Identity Formation Through Leisure Time

ABSTRACTAn interpretative phenomenological study of newlywed couple leisure was conducted to understand the role of leisure in the development of relationship dynamics and couple identity. Nine couples were interviewed twice, using open-ended questions that explored the role of leisure in their relationship development. Data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological processes. Couples viewed leisure as a crucial part of their relationships, helping them develop their identities as couples through creating shared meaning and opportunities to improve communication and conflict management skills. Findings can be used to encourage couple exploration of positive leisure experiences during courtship and early marriage, including therapeutic interventions and relationship education programs that teach couples to incorporate joint leisure strategically into their relationships.

About this title ‐ Radioactive Waste Confinement: Clays in Natural and Engineered Barriers

It is internationally accepted that the safest and most sustainable option for managing radioactive waste is geological disposal, utilizing both engineering and geology to isolate the waste and contain the radioactivity. This Special Publication contains 25 scientific studies presented at the 6th conference on ‘Clays in natural and engineered barriers for radioactive waste confinement’ held in Brussels, Belgium in 2015. The conference and this resulting volume cover many of the aspects of clay characterization and behaviour considered at various temporal and spatial scales relevant to the confinement of radionuclides in clay, from basic phenomenological process descriptions to the global understanding of performance and safety at repository and geological scales. The papers in this volume consider research into argillaceous media under the following topic areas: large-scale geological characterization; general strategy for clay-based disposal systems; geomechanics; mass transfer; bentonite evolution and gas transfer. The collection of different topics presented in this Special Publication demonstrates the diversity of geological repository research.

Il chiarore che deforma – Processi deformanti nella poetica di Amelia Rosselli

La poesia di Amelia Rosselli si rivela di stampo profondamente fenomenologico e prende le mosse da una realtà tumultuosa, in costante divenire. Il caos della realtà esterna viene interiorizzato in un processo di filtrazione deformante, indispensabile per raggiungere uno stato di appropriazione del reale. Il presente saggio indaga da principio le implicazioni fenomenologiche nella poetica rosselliana, in linea con simili approcci sia in Italia, nelle teorizzazioni del Gruppo 63, che all’estero, nel saggio di Charles Olson. L’arte perde una volta per tutte il suo statuto di veridicità e diventa piuttosto un processo in fieri, un cauto accostamento al reale. In particolare, nella ricerca rosselliana il meccanismo deformante diventa imprescindibile per interiorizzare e “domare” il mondo esterno. Il reale viene sottoposto a curvature e deformazioni spazio-temporali secondo le leggi delle geometrie non euclidee e delle trasformazioni topologiche. Il risultato ottenuto, seppure distorto, si rivela concettualmente equivalente alla materia di partenza. La rappresentazione deformante corrisponde dunque a un processo di filtrazione fenomenologico che restituisce una versione della realtà analoga, nonostante le sue forme siano stravolte. Alcune brevi analisi testuali mostrano come la tensione deformante da una parte venga utilizzata per appropriarsi e superare definitivamente l’esperienza traumatica passata, dall’altra divenga strumento per inserirsi nel canone letterario patriarcale. Il padre si offre come figura emblematica di superamento: il padre biologico che origina il trauma infantile, ma anche i padri della tradizione letteraria (Rimbaud, Scipione, Dante, Montale) i cui versi vengono rubati e turbati, deformati in un discorso finalmente a misura di donna.

Applicability of the KFav model in the prediction of fixed bed breakthrough curve

Applicability of the KF av model in the prediction/simulation of the breakthrough curve of a fixed bed adsorber was studied through quantitative evaluation of the estimation error of the breakthrough curves calculated by the KF av model with those calculated by the phenomenological rigorous adsorption process model. The evaluation was carried out on the basis of dimensionless equations of each model as a function of the Biot number and the parameters of adsorption isotherms used in the phenomenological rigorous adsorption process models. Influence of the non-linearity of the adsorption isotherm and the Biot number to the estimation error of breakthrough curves obtained by the KF av model was clarified quantitatively. The application quality and/or degree of reliability of the KF av model were clarified systematically.

A framework for negotiating positionality in phenomenological research

This Guide was written as an aid to those who are considering phenomenology as a methodology in their education research. Phenomenology allows us to understand and appreciate educational issues by exploring the unique experiences and perspectives of individuals involved in the process. There are certain core tenets to all phenomenological research, such as a focus on exploring experience and adopting a phenomenological stance. However, because phenomenology has emerged from the work of a number of related but distinct philosophers, phenomenologists do not adhere to a single approach. To help phenomenological researchers position themselves and their work with regard to the various approaches, we offer the “3 + 1” framework. This framework articulates three dimensions on which phenomenological researchers vary: (1) focusing primarily on the general or the particular; (2) managing “pre-understandings” using primarily reduction or reflexivity; and (3) engaging with participants’ stories using primarily description or interpretation. We suggest that a researcher need not adhere to a single position with regard to these dimensions, but rather should intentionally and reflectively shift across the various positions depending on purpose and context. The fourth aspect of the framework, writing, overlays these three dimensions, and is central to the reflective enactment of the phenomenological process.

Cancer Worry Among Urban Dominican Women: A Qualitative Study

Two thirds of respondents of a recent survey, primarily self-identified urban immigrant Dominican females, indicated that cancer was the health problem they worried about the most. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a greater understanding of the cancer worry experienced by Dominican women. Giorgi's descriptive existential phenomenological framework and methodology guided the study. Washington Heights/Inwood community, New York City, New York. Thirty-eight urban Dominican immigrant women were included in the study. Data were gathered using focus group interviews. All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim from Spanish to English. The transcripts were analyzed using Giorgi's existential phenomenological data analysis process. Four essences unfolded: Cancer as Destiny, Faith, Influential Relationships, and Knowledge Acquisition. New knowledge was generated on the contextual factors that influence cancer worry among a major Hispanic subgroup. Implications for nursing research and practice are described.

The choice of reaction path during ternary diffusion process

The complete understanding of the phenomenological process related to the evolution of the ternary multiphase system is still lacking. In this paper the ternary interdiffusion process in multiphase system is discussed by means of numerical modeling. The entropy production principle is proposed to chose the proper diffusion path during the process (e.g. internal oxidation). The bi-velocity method of the three-component multi-phase system is presented. The simulations show the local entropy production curve that determines the thickness of the two-phase zone.

Calm Abiding

Various aspects of meditation have been studied for more than 50 years, but little research has explored the lived experience of meditation in long-term meditators and examined what meaning this practice holds for the meditators. This interpretative phenomenological study examined the lived experience of the practice of meditation in the lives of six women who have practiced meditation daily for more than 10 years. This study addressed the questions of how the long-term practice of meditation is experienced and adhered to, how long-term meditators are motivated, what benefits practitioners receive, and what meaning they attribute to their practice. Data were gathered using telephone interviews and analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological process. Eight superordinate themes arose including (a) consistent and mindful adherence to ritual and technique; (b) role of a teacher/mentor; (c) cultivation of self-awareness; (d) increased equanimity, compassion, and acceptance of self and others; (e) transcendent, peak experiences; (f) cultivation and deepening of personal spirituality; (g) life purpose and meaning; and (h) challenges and barriers to meditation. This study provides descriptions of the challenges and benefits of maintaining a long-term meditation practice. It points toward the potential of regular, long-term meditation to serve as a complementary healing modality.

Discrete element investigation of process models for batch screening under altered operational conditions

For the design and improvement of operational parameters of screening processes the particle-based discrete element method (DEM), as well as phenomenological screening models are available. Due to their simplicity and low calculation costs, the latter can be applied efficiently for industrial applications. So far, both DEM and phenomenological screening models were only used to provide information about screening processes with constant operational parameters neglecting transient changes. To overcome this, in the investigation here, DEM simulations applying spherical and non-spherical particles are used to benchmark process models extended for batch screening under altered operational conditions. For this purpose, different particle characteristics such as size, shape and size distribution are taken into account in the DEM simulations. Operational parameters including vibration frequency, amplitude and stroke angle are permanently changed after a specific time. Based on the data obtained from the simulations, the overall fraction retained on the screen over time is analyzed and compared to DEM results of screening under constant operational conditions. Predictions of phenomenological screening process models, which were adjusted to the outcome of DEM simulations under constant operational conditions in terms of the fraction retained on the screen over time, are taken to predict the outcome of batch screening simulations under unsteady operational conditions. The resulting deviations to simulations with a change in operational parameters are evaluated, thereby allowing the comparative benchmarking of process models for screening in transient operation. Obtained DEM results of batch screening indicate a strong dependence on operational parameters and particle shape. Process models vary intensively in their ability to represent DEM results of screening in unsteady operation.

U.S. CEOs of SBUs in Luxury Goods Organizations: A Mixed Methods Comparison of Ethical Decision-Making Profiles

This study involved using a mixed method research design to examine the moral philosophy difference between the ethical decision-making process of CEOs in U.S.-led and non-U.S.-led within the luxury goods industry. The study employed a MANOVA to compare the ethical profiles between the two leader types (US and non-US led) and a phenomenological qualitative process to locate themes that give indication as to the compatibility of the luxury strategy values and practices with the principles and concepts of responsible leadership and conscious capitalism. As the luxury goods industry is facing the first slowdown since 2000, pressure to achieve sales targets in the U.S. to make up for losses in other markets will place these CEOs under extreme pressure from their headquarters. These leaders must possess the ethical decision-making capability to balance legal and moral dilemmas unique to multinational luxury goods organizations while delivering business results in a challenging environment. Results of the study show no evidence of difference in the ethical decision-making profiles between the two groups of leaders. The themes and emergent findings resulting from the qualitative analysis indicate a profound incompatibility between the values informing decision-makers using the luxury strategy and those employed by leaders operating within the principles and parameters of responsible leadership and conscious capitalism. Recommendations for future research include replicating the study with a larger sample, within a different geographic region or comparing leaders using the luxury strategy to those using conscious capitalism.

Neurophenomenology of an Altered State of Consciousness: An fMRI Case Study

A research participant came to our lab with self-proclaimed, ecstatic, Kundalini meditative experiences. Using neurophenomenology and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we were able to identify brain activation in the left prefrontal cortex [primarily in left Brodmann׳s areas (BAs) 46 and 10, but also extending into BAs 11, 47, and 45] associated with this experience. The Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory provided evidence that this was a perceived altered state of consciousness. Additionally, the Physio-Kundalini Syndrome Index strongly suggested that what he was experiencing was indeed Kundalini. The feelings of joy, happiness and the left prefrontal brain region found in this study are consistent with many published neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies of meditation. This case study suggests that using first-person subjective experience within a phenomenological reduction process can be combined with neuroimaging to divulge objective brain regions associated with such experiences. Furthermore, this provides evidence that at least in this participant, the Kundalini experience is associated with brain activation in the left prefrontal cortex. Future research is needed to confirm these results in a large group study, perhaps contrasting brain activation of those who experience spontaneously emerging Kundalini with trained Kundalini practitioners.

Bridging psychophysiological and phenomenological characteristics of psychosis — Preliminary evidence for the relevance of emotion regulation

In psychosis, the alleged increased subjective stress-sensitivity is reflected in abnormal physiological arousal such as higher heart rate, elevated skin conductance levels, decreased vagal activity, and unusual cortisol levels. Despite ongoing research, possible mechanisms that explain the interplay between the phenomenological (i.e., subjective stress and symptoms) and psychophysiological processes are not thoroughly understood. Building on the model of neurovisceral integration by Thayer and Lane (2000) that focuses on regulative mechanisms, we postulate that emotion regulation will be associated with vagal activity, and with both subjective and physiological stress. In the present analysis, we used data from a baseline relaxation period including a 5-minute assessment of heart rate variability (HRV), salivary cortisol, and momentary subjective stress ratings from a sample of 19 participants with psychosis (mean age=40.9, SD=11.1; 36.8% female). Emotion regulation modification skills were assessed for specific emotions (i.e., stress and arousal, anxiety, anger, sadness, shame) if these were present during the previous week. Vagal HRV was significantly and moderately associated with emotion regulation. Both stress parameters (i.e., cortisol, subjective stress) were significantly associated with emotion regulation, but not with HRV. We provide preliminary support for the notion that emotion regulatory processes represent a crucial link between phenomenological and psychophysiological phenomena in psychosis. A potential model that ascribes emotion regulation a central role in the restoration of homeostasis is discussed. Future studies are needed to verify its generalizability and predictive value.

A continuum damage model to predict the influence of ply waviness on stiffness and strength in ultra-thick unidirectional Fiber-reinforced Plastics

Ply waviness is a commonly observed manufacturing defect of ultra-thick composite materials essentially affecting stiffness, strength, and fatigue behavior of the composite. A specimen's geometry is designed to represent the failure mechanisms in thick wavy laminates, typically observed in spar caps of today's wind turbine blades. A material model is developed to simulate the phenomenological processes in wavy laminates to obtain a strength knock-down. Particular attention is taken on the nonlinear shear behavior and kink band formation. The presented model correlates well with results achieved by experiments. This paper shows a significantly higher influence of compressive compared with tensile loading on the mechanical material behavior of wavy laminates.

Memory, nation and the crisis of location in Saadat Hasan Manto’s ‘Toba Tek Singh’

Abstract This article explores the entanglements of memory and the crisis of location in the context of the India–Pakistan Partition in 1947, as depicted in Saadat Hasan Manto’s short fiction. It will investigate how Manto’s fiction is reflective of the trauma of geographical and existential dislocation with the birth of two nations following a programme of political and epistemic violence and remapping. The study will place special focus on the entanglement of memory and madness alongside the broader issues of nation-formation, alienation and loss. It will examine the trauma of 1947 Partition as a psychological as well as existential crisis that often manifested itself in madness, aphasia and amnesia. With a special attention to the formal qualities of Manto’s short fiction, the article will investigate the human condition of shock and loss by drawing on trauma studies, phenomenology and cognitive psychological studies in episodic memory, unreliable narration and cognition. It will thus examine how the short story is formally and uniquely equipped to reflect the cognitive and phenomenological processes underpinning memory, narrativity and consciousness, especially in their unsettled states of being in a politically violent space. The article specifically focuses on the short story ‘Toba Tek Singh’, which depicts a diplomatically agreed exchange of madmen across the borders of the two newly formed nations of India and Pakistan and the absurdity in the systematized political processes underpinning citizenship, nationality and identity. It will investigate how madness emerges as an existential as well as an epistemic inwardness that resists political classification with its subversive articulation of agency and emotionality. Manto’s short story and fiction in general may be read as a complex analysis of transnational trauma, memory and crisis of existential identity. This article offers such a study.

Benchmarking of process models for continuous screening based on discrete element simulations

For the design and the scale-up of screening processes and the optimization of operating parameters the particle-based discrete element method (DEM) as well as classic phenomenological screening models are available. Phenomenological screening process models are simple to use and require only sparse computational resources, hence providing the possibility to use them efficiently in industrial applications. In this context, a comparative benchmark of numerous kinetic and probabilistic screening models of various complexities has been performed for discontinuous screening, recently. Following the approach of this study, in the investigation here, DEM-simulations applying spherical and non-spherical particles are used to benchmark process models for continuous screening. In the DEM-simulations different particle characteristics such as size, shape and size distribution are taken into account. Screen characteristics such as aperture size, wire shape and inclination angles as well as operational parameters including vibration frequency, amplitude, stroke angle and mass flow rate are varied. Based on the data obtained from the simulations, the overall fraction retained on the screen as well as the selectivity in terms of overflow partition number, the transport velocity and the residence time all in dependence on particle size are investigated. Finally, phenomenological screening process models are adjusted to the outcome of the DEM-simulations in terms of the fraction retained on the screen and overflow separation curves, respectively. The resulting deviations are evaluated and thereby allowing the comparative benchmarking of available process models for continuous screening. Obtained DEM-results indicate a strong dependence of screening on operational parameters and particle shape. Screening process models vary intensively in their ability to represent DEM-results.

The intrinsic diffusivities in multi component systems

The complete understanding of the phenomenological process related to the position of the Matano and Kirkendall plane in multicomponent system is still lacking. In this paper some aspects of Matano and lattice plane migration are studied by means of numerical simulations. New approach to calculate intrinsic diffusion coefficients in binary Ni–Au system and ternary Cu–Fe–Ni and Co–Fe–Ni is presented. Diffusivities were calculated using modified Boltzmann–Matano method. Self diffusion coefficients of the elements in diffusion couple must be known as well as position of the Kirkendall plane after the experiment to use this method. Diffusion profile was calculated using presented equations. Calculations compared with experimental data prove validity of the presented approach. This work proves that intrinsic diffusion coefficients should be given by the concentration function, not the exact value.

Landscape, Memory, and the Shifting Regional Geographies of Northwest Bosnia-Herzegovina

Writing and arguing with older discourses that have informed the subdiscipline of regional geography and setting them against new ways of conceiving of the region, this article considers the northwest of Bosnia-Herzegovina as a site that calls for a newly animated form of regional study. Of particular concern here is the role that memory and commemorative practices play in such a spatial schema. The monumental landscapes of the Tito regime and its collective commemoration of World War II sit alongside and are troubled by the more recent traumas and spaces of unmarked death associated with the ethnic war in Bosnia during the early 1990s. Read together, northwest Bosnia-Herzegovina functions as a vivid exemplar for understanding traumatic historical mourning as a phenomenological process that is inseparable from the wider geopolitical landscape.