This research study explored the meanings attributed by migrant Arab Muslim women to their experiences of childbirth in the UK. The objectives of the study were: • To explore migrant Arab Muslim women's experiences of maternity services in the UK. • To examine the traditional childbearing beliefs and practices of Arab Muslim society. • To suggest ways to provide culturally sensitive care for this group of women. An interpretive ontological-phenomenological perspective informed by the philosophical tenets of Heidegger (1927/1962) was used to examine the childbirth experiences of eight Arab Muslim women who had migrated to one multicultural city in the Midlands. Three in-depth semi structured audiotaped interviews were conducted with each woman; the first during the third trimester of pregnancy (28 weeks onwards), the second early in the postnatal period (1-2 weeks after birth) and the third one to three months later. Each interview was conducted in Arabic, then transcribed and translated into English. An adapted version of Smith’s model of interpretive phenomenological analysis (Smith 2003) together with the principles of Gadamer (1989) were used to analyse the interview data, aided by the use of the software package NVivo2. The analysis of the women’s experiences captures the significance of giving birth in a new cultural context, their perception of the positive and negative aspects of their maternity care and the importance of a culturally competent approach to midwifery practice. Six main themes emerged from analysis of the interviews: ‘displacement and reformation of the self’, ‘by the grace of God’, ‘the vulnerable women,’ ‘adaptation to the new culture,’ ‘dissonance between two maternity health systems’ and ‘the valuable experience’. These themes reflected the women’s lived experiences of their childbirth in the UK. The implications for communities, institutions, midwifery practice and further research are outlined. The study concludes that in providing culturally competent care, maternity caregivers should be aware of what might be significant in the religious and cultural understandings of Arab women but also avoid cultural stereotyping by maintaining an emphasis on individualised care.

The aim of this thesis is to unfold the multilayered intersubjective experience of the author himself, a Chinese pastor. The author postulates himself as the subject in whom the said experience was evident, so that it can be analyzed and interpreted. The author argues for a cultural-linguistic experience of shì勢 as the locus at which the intersubjective experience takes place. He then shows that such experience embodies a Chinese Christian’s ‘two texts’ inheritance, and argues that it is through unfolding or revealing of such experience that the nature of his relationship with them can be demonstrated. The author will show that his relationship to these “two texts” is a continuing appropriation of them. The appropriation is not done through arbitrary readings of the texts, but careful exegetical study of both biblical and Chinese classic. The subjective appropriation will be studied by paying attention to the texts with their literary and historical contexts considered, not simply for the sake of reconstruction but for their relevancy to what the subject experiences. To unfold this experience, the author identifies five key texts that are found in his intersubjective experience: Text A1: Shì勢, Text A2: Yìzhuàn易傳, Text B1: Pauline notion of principalities and powers, Text B2: Pauline Texts I and II: Galatians and 1 Corinthians, and Text 0 (zero), his initial or seminal experience of shì. The author provides the hermeneutical rationale in dialogue with Michael Polanyi and Hans Georg Gadamer, and proposes that a double vision hermeneutic will help interpret the multilayered intersubjective relationships between texts and the subject. The thesis will reveal, through the double vision hermeneutic, a unique way of conceiving Chinese Christian self that embodies fusion, intermingling and layers of understanding of texts and notions from the Bible and Chinese tradition. The author argues that study of this intersubjective experience reveals a vital facet of Chinese Christian self, and significantly enhances the study of Chinese theology. The author also hopes that the double vision hermeneutic as demonstrated will contribute to the understanding of a facet of Chinese Christian way of being.

A investigação a que se propõe o presente trabalho volta-se à possibilidade de se alcançar uma noção existencial de amor, a partir da análise do percurso fenomenológico trilhado pelo filósofo alemão Martin Heidegger, bem como ponderar a sua importância para a busca do justo. Apartando-se de toda interpretação psicossubjetiva e do âmbito axiológico das apreciações e, portanto, distanciando-se de toda sentimentalidade e comodidade dos sentimentos, tal como recomendara Heidegger nas preleções do semestre de inverno entre 1928 e 1929, o amor enquanto fenômeno é, aqui, perquirido com vistas a uma determinação ontológico-fundamental do Dasein. Todavia, para que esta busca se desenvolva de modo coeso ao pensamento do filósofo, é imprescindível que se lance o olhar ao caminho que levara a constituição de seu pensamento. Dessa forma, não se pode ignorar a proveniência teológica de seu pensar, sobretudo no que tange à interpretação da antropologia agostiniana greco-cristã, por Heidegger redirecionada às bases essenciais da ontologia aristotélica. Com efeito, fora a partir de uma passagem de Agostinho, reproduzida por Heidegger em uma carta endereçada à Hannah Arendt, que o filósofo alemão assinalara o amor como um volo, ut sis, um modo de abertura que libera e deixa-ser o que é no movimento mesmo de seu por-vir. Ademais, a pergunta pelo amor deve estabelecer-se de modo a lançar-nos ao que é mais próprio ao amor, e será no retorno à experiência do pensamento grego arcaico e pré-socrático, não como mera recuperação histórica, mas como um salto retroativo para onde provém o pensar do ser como presença constante, que o termo recobrará a sua essência. Como um deixar-ser o que é, o amor, então, revelar-se-á como um modo originário de acesso à verdade, e como tal sobressairá a sua importância, enquanto caminho hermenêutico, para a investigação do justo. / The research that proposes this work back to the possibility of reaching an existential notion of love, from the analysis of the phenomenological path trodden by the German philosopher Martin Heidegger and consider its importance to the search of the fair. Detaching itself from all psycho-subjective interpretation and axiological framework of assessments and thus distancing itself from all sentimentality and comfort of feelings, as recommended Heidegger in the lectures of winter semester between 1928 and 1929, love as a phenomenon is, here, investigated with a view to a fundamental ontological-determination of the Dasein. However, for this search develop into the cohesive way to the thought of the philosopher, it is essential to move the eye to the path that led him to build his thinking. Thus, one can not ignore the theological origin of your thinking, especially regarding the interpretation of the greek-christian augustinian anthropology, redirected by Heidegger to the essential foundations of Aristotelian ontology. Indeed, it was from a passage of Augustine, remembered by Heidegger in a letter to Hannah Arendt, that the German philosopher pointed out love as a volo, ut sis, a way of opening that frees and let-be which is the same movement of your to-come. Moreover, the question of love should be established in order to drive us to what is most proper to love, and will be through the return to the experience of ancient greek and pre-socratic thought, not as mere historical recovery, but as a retroactive jump where comes the thought of being as constant presence, that the term return to his essence. As a letting-be what is, love, then, will prove to be an original way of access to the truth, and as such will raise its importance, while hermeneutical way, to research the fair.

A investigação a que se propõe o presente trabalho volta-se à possibilidade de se alcançar uma noção existencial de amor, a partir da análise do percurso fenomenológico trilhado pelo filósofo alemão Martin Heidegger, bem como ponderar a sua importância para a busca do justo. Apartando-se de toda interpretação psicossubjetiva e do âmbito axiológico das apreciações e, portanto, distanciando-se de toda sentimentalidade e comodidade dos sentimentos, tal como recomendara Heidegger nas preleções do semestre de inverno entre 1928 e 1929, o amor enquanto fenômeno é, aqui, perquirido com vistas a uma determinação ontológico-fundamental do Dasein. Todavia, para que esta busca se desenvolva de modo coeso ao pensamento do filósofo, é imprescindível que se lance o olhar ao caminho que levara a constituição de seu pensamento. Dessa forma, não se pode ignorar a proveniência teológica de seu pensar, sobretudo no que tange à interpretação da antropologia agostiniana greco-cristã, por Heidegger redirecionada às bases essenciais da ontologia aristotélica. Com efeito, fora a partir de uma passagem de Agostinho, reproduzida por Heidegger em uma carta endereçada à Hannah Arendt, que o filósofo alemão assinalara o amor como um volo, ut sis, um modo de abertura que libera e deixa-ser o que é no movimento mesmo de seu por-vir. Ademais, a pergunta pelo amor deve estabelecer-se de modo a lançar-nos ao que é mais próprio ao amor, e será no retorno à experiência do pensamento grego arcaico e pré-socrático, não como mera recuperação histórica, mas como um salto retroativo para onde provém o pensar do ser como presença constante, que o termo recobrará a sua essência. Como um deixar-ser o que é, o amor, então, revelar-se-á como um modo originário de acesso à verdade, e como tal sobressairá a sua importância, enquanto caminho hermenêutico, para a investigação do justo. / The research that proposes this work back to the possibility of reaching an existential notion of love, from the analysis of the phenomenological path trodden by the German philosopher Martin Heidegger and consider its importance to the search of the fair. Detaching itself from all psycho-subjective interpretation and axiological framework of assessments and thus distancing itself from all sentimentality and comfort of feelings, as recommended Heidegger in the lectures of winter semester between 1928 and 1929, love as a phenomenon is, here, investigated with a view to a fundamental ontological-determination of the Dasein. However, for this search develop into the cohesive way to the thought of the philosopher, it is essential to move the eye to the path that led him to build his thinking. Thus, one can not ignore the theological origin of your thinking, especially regarding the interpretation of the greek-christian augustinian anthropology, redirected by Heidegger to the essential foundations of Aristotelian ontology. Indeed, it was from a passage of Augustine, remembered by Heidegger in a letter to Hannah Arendt, that the German philosopher pointed out love as a volo, ut sis, a way of opening that frees and let-be which is the same movement of your to-come. Moreover, the question of love should be established in order to drive us to what is most proper to love, and will be through the return to the experience of ancient greek and pre-socratic thought, not as mere historical recovery, but as a retroactive jump where comes the thought of being as constant presence, that the term return to his essence. As a letting-be what is, love, then, will prove to be an original way of access to the truth, and as such will raise its importance, while hermeneutical way, to research the fair.

This thesis is a hermeneutic phenomenological study of the concept of disclosure in maternity care contexts using the example of sexual orientation. There is a significant body of literature within psychology and sociology relating to the health and social purposes and consequences of disclosure. There is a further body of outcomes-focused evidence relating to disclosure of sexual orientation in health care. There is, however, little research undertaken into the disclosure of sexual orientation in pregnancy as an action with motive and purpose. This study aimed to address this issue. The study employed unstructured interviews with eight lesbian mothers, seven of whom were birth mothers and one was a social mother. The hermeneutic method used an iterative process of analysis integrating researcher pre-understandings, thematic analysis of individual interview transcripts and broader analysis of the individual interview data within the total interview data, exploring the parts within the whole. The aim was to identify the shared meaning of disclosure for the participants Data analysis resulted in five main themes: being invisible/visible; being upfront; being me; being entitled; being safe. An additional finding was the process of managing negativity through strategies such as rationalisation. Three encompassing concepts were identified: protection; power; and identity. Two motivations for disclosure were also identified: pro-action and altruism The thesis concludes that disclosure is a motivated and purposeful act which has real meaning and consequences. It makes extensive recommendations for midwifery practice including acknowledging the disclosure, understanding the legal complexity, and recognising the lesbian family. Recommendations for policy suggest having explicit and detailed policies that include information about how to be inclusive rather than only abstract concepts of inclusion. Recommendations for research include qualitative and quantitative research with midwives about attitudes and knowledge as well as research exploring the role of the social mother in promoting family health outcomes.

Parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities are confronted with challenging decisions regarding whether to place their adult child in a group-home. The research question for this study was to ascertain the lived experiences of parents confronted with this life altering decision. Limited research exists on parents who face this difficult life choice. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities when contemplating residential placements. Ten participants from the north Atlantic coastline in the U.S. were recruited and shared their lived experiences during semi structured interviews. Utilizing qualitative methodology to undergird Heidegger's phenomenology framework, data was collected and analyzed using the hermeneutic circle. The thematic outcomes included best option, physical aggression, death/absence of a spouse, caregiver medical conditions, mental health-behavioral disorder, community integration, hospital/emergency, verbal aggression, and financial burden. The results can inform counselors regarding the struggles the parents of adult children with intellectual disabilities confront and how they influence decisions regarding alternative living arrangements. The findings inform parents enduring emotional and physical stressors, caregiver burden, and relationship strain. Positive social change can be realized through disseminating the results of this study to parents, counselor educators and supervisors. Coursework could introduce students and practitioners to the parental decision-making process to help understand family dynamics and alternative living arrangements for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Growing very old into late life means increased suffering that may lead to despair and call for consolation. This thesis looks at the lived experience of very old people and aim at illuminating the meaning of growing very old and the meaning of consolation when growing old. It is part of the Umeå 85+ Study, and of the Consolation Study at the Department of Nursing, Umeå University. The participants were 85, 90, or 95 years old or over, living in the county of Umeå. The thesis comprises four studies with data from thematic interviews that are analysed using a phenomenological hermeneutic method (Studies I, II, IV) and qualitative content analysis (III). For Study I the transcribed interviews of 15 85-year-old people were analyzed and disclosed the meaning of growing very old as: maintaining one’s identity in spite of the changes that come with aging—that is, being able to balance change with feeling the same. This was based on four themes: balancing weakness and strength, balancing slowness and swiftness of time, balancing reconciliation and regret, and balancing connectedness and loneliness. In Study II, interviews with 12 people between 95 and 103 years old were analyzed and disclosed the meaning of being very old as living in hope and being on the move, based on two themes: Being in stillness and in movement, which involves being in one’s aged body, unable to move, and being in the stillness of the inner person occupied with remembering and reconciling life; and Being at the threshold ready to let go, which implies being at peace and feeling confident despite the anxiety of dying. Study III describes how 90-years old and older people perceive consolation. Qualitative Content analysis of 49 interviews revealed four categories perceiving consolation connected to God, others, self, and things and presented in two themes: “Living amidst consolation in the presence of God” and “Seeking consolation”. Study IV examines the meaning of being consoled when growing very old. The interviews with 13 people over 85 years who scored high on a self-transcendent scale were analysed and disclosed the meaning of being consoled as an immediate experience of being carried and embraced by God and supported by the loving care and affection from others and the world, being relaxed, peaceful and full of joy and experiencing hope. The interpretation was based on the main theme Feeling whole, comprising the following themes: Being connected to self, Feeling connected to fellow beings and the world, Feeling connected to God. The meaning of growing very old and the meaning of consolation when growing very old point at a way of aging into late life interpreted as living in consolation. Reminiscence, reflecting on life and transcendence are resources when growing very old that were interpreted to being related to consolation. Thus growing very old and living in consolation is to transcend and come in communion with the sacred; with goodness, light, joy, beauty and life and hope, carried by a connectedness to God (e.g. Higher power) and supported by a connectedness to fellow beings and the world.

In this case study I explore why the conflict of the Basque country which involves Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) persists. The purpose is to gain an understanding of the existence of ETA. Working somewhat  as an ethnographer the method has been to observe Basque society and through semi- structured interviews gain an understanding of ETAs existence. As exemplified with the hermeneutic circle, this case study starts out with a preunderstanding of the reasons for the existence of ETA, a preunderstanding which alters many times during my visit to the Basque country. Keys to understanding the continued existence of ETA is that historical “injustices” are perceived to still exist in the Basque country. Perceptions which question the legitimacy of the Spanish state in the Basque country. Further the social base of ETA, as exemplified in election support for Herri Batasuna (HB), still remains rather strong despite the party‟s illegalization and finally, the perceived lack of a functioning democracy in Spain and the lack of legitimacy of the Spanish state in the Basque country are among the reasons for the continued existence of ETA.

No description available.

Chronic disease is the largest cause of death in the world. Yet little is known about how globalization forces affect the body and the experience of someone who is chronically ill. The need for specialized knowledge of subjective data is significant as it will assist us to improve our understanding and develop stronger nursing practices for people who are chronically ill. The purpose of this research is to understand the effect that globalization forces have on the personal experience of people living with chronic illnesses. People living with chronic illness from Canada and Colombia are participants in the study. The following research questions guided the study “What is it like to live with a chronic illness in the context of contemporary globalization forces? How do these political, economical and social forces affect the body of the chronically ill? Are experienced difficulties similar or different in a middle-income country as compared to a high-income country? The methodology for the study follows an interpretive inquiry approach using a critical hermeneutic phenomenological method. Hermeneutic phenomenology explores the various dimensions of human experience in human situations such as embodiment, spatiality, relationality and temporality. Critical pedagogy as a theoretical perspective invoking the work of Paulo Freire and Enrique Dussel is used to examine emerging findings in the context of globalization and resulting global inequities. This dissertation presents the experience of people who are chronically ill including access to health care, respect, compassion, social, political and legal exclusion, and calls for understanding and action on the part of health care professionals, policy makers and society. The findings urge us to move from merely acknowledging the difficulties people living with chronic illness endure in an age of globalization to action to bring about health care, social, and political reform through a process of conscientization and mutual transformation.