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Phenomenology Is The Study Of Phenomena Essay

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In its most simplistic form, phenomenology is the study of phenomena. In other words, phenomenology focuses on the appearance of things as they appear in our individual experience, and even the ways in which we experience particular things (Aspers 2009). Phenomenological methods incorporate the subjective view of experience, i.e. the first-person point of view. Humans are described as conscious thinking beings and phenomenology argues that the only way we can confirm the existence of a phenomenon is through the way we consciously perceive our surroundings (Heidegger, as cited by Aspers 2009).

Sociological methodology implies that the notion of sociology is indeed a science. Empirical phenomenology and ethnomethodology aim to describe, “how people perceive and think about things, although this is central to the phenomenological approach” (Aspers 2009, p. 6). Social scientific analysis seeks understanding and explanations (Aspers 2009). According to Aspers (2009, p.4), “if we are to understand the social world and meet the demands of phenomenology, we must produce explanations that are grounded in the subjective experiences of real people.” Therefore, it is a social scientist’s job to understand why particular things happen and how these incidents occur (Aspers 2009) whilst taking into account the subjective relationship to these phenomena.

Phenomenology has greatly influenced sociology, as it is a philosophical method of knowing and understanding the nature of reality.

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