The goals of higher education often entail the development of students' character. Rarely, however, are these character development goals connected to the unique design and delivery of distance education programs. Additionally, the research literature that explores the character development aspects of distance education is sparse. Thus the purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of how character development may occur in a distance context. Taking a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, I examined instructor and student perceptions of character development in a fantasy literature independent study course. Findings indicate that students perceived development of traits and strengths in the following areas: moral character (moral desires, moral discernment, and moral courage); relational character (improved relationships, open-mindedness, the sharing of learning with others, and improved communication); spiritual character (humility, faith, hope, and charity); and performance character (self-discipline and self-directedness in learning, analytical and deep approach to learning, imagination and creativity, appreciation of literature, motivation to continue education, and self-confidence). Participants also perceived a variety of corresponding approaches, methods, factors, and influences for bringing about such character development, such as (a) the applicability of literary themes and character attributes and experiences to their lives; (b) the conversational nature of the instruction (an invitational and deep learning approach, preparation for reading and analyzing the literature, offering choices to enhance engagement and relevance, asking questions that promote analysis and personal connections with the literature, affording multiple opportunities to write, and providing timely, encouraging, and helpful feedback); (c) a trusting, respectful, and friendly relationship between the student and instructor (obtained through the instructional conversation and the instructor's personal and engaging writing style, personalizing contacts, being helpful and showing concern, and being sincere and honest); (d) the independent study context (flexibility in time and location and a more independent learning experience); and (e) the students' readiness and agency (choices, initiative, and effort). Students also perceived interrelationships among these elements. The study offers possible implications for character development in the context of distance education, as well as directions for future research.

This study explores therapists' experience of working with suicidal clients. Using a Hermeneutic-phenomenological method informed by Heidegger [1889 – 1976] this study provides an understanding of the meaning of therapists' experiences from their perspective as mental health professionals in New Zealand. Study participants include thirteen therapists working as mental health professionals in District Health Boards from the disciplines of psychiatry, psychology and psychiatric nursing. Participants' narratives of their experiences of working with suicidal clients were captured via audio taped interviewing. These stories uncover the everyday realities facing therapists and provide an ontological understanding of their experiences working with suicidal clients in District Health Boards. The findings of this study identified three themes. All the participants experienced shock and surprise upon hearing their clients had committed suicide without presenting with signs and symptoms associated with suicidality in their assessment. All the participants experienced the responsibility of assessing suicidal clients and intervening to be a burden. Further, they suffered from guilt and fear of punishment in the aftermath of a client's suicide. They also found themselves in a professional and personal crisis as a result of their experiences and struggled to come to terms with events. This study has shown how these experiences could be understood by uncovering the perspectives therapists bring to working with suicidal clients. I have shown how mainstream prevention and intervention strategies follow on from the misrepresentation and misinterpretation of our traditional way of knowing what it means to be human. I show when therapists discover that phenomena are not necessarily what they appear to be they feel unsettled and confused about their responsibilities and what it means to live and die as a human being. The experience of being a therapist to a person who commits suicide has been revealed in this thesis to leave a profound legacy of guilt, doubt and fear. This thesis proposes that it may be time for the profession to care for its own that therapists in turn may not shy back from caring for and about the vulnerable other.

This study explores therapists' experience of working with suicidal clients. Using a Hermeneutic-phenomenological method informed by Heidegger [1889 – 1976] this study provides an understanding of the meaning of therapists' experiences from their perspective as mental health professionals in New Zealand. Study participants include thirteen therapists working as mental health professionals in District Health Boards from the disciplines of psychiatry, psychology and psychiatric nursing. Participants' narratives of their experiences of working with suicidal clients were captured via audio taped interviewing. These stories uncover the everyday realities facing therapists and provide an ontological understanding of their experiences working with suicidal clients in District Health Boards. The findings of this study identified three themes. All the participants experienced shock and surprise upon hearing their clients had committed suicide without presenting with signs and symptoms associated with suicidality in their assessment. All the participants experienced the responsibility of assessing suicidal clients and intervening to be a burden. Further, they suffered from guilt and fear of punishment in the aftermath of a client's suicide. They also found themselves in a professional and personal crisis as a result of their experiences and struggled to come to terms with events. This study has shown how these experiences could be understood by uncovering the perspectives therapists bring to working with suicidal clients. I have shown how mainstream prevention and intervention strategies follow on from the misrepresentation and misinterpretation of our traditional way of knowing what it means to be human. I show when therapists discover that phenomena are not necessarily what they appear to be they feel unsettled and confused about their responsibilities and what it means to live and die as a human being. The experience of being a therapist to a person who commits suicide has been revealed in this thesis to leave a profound legacy of guilt, doubt and fear. This thesis proposes that it may be time for the profession to care for its own that therapists in turn may not shy back from caring for and about the vulnerable other.

A partir da intersecção entre a psicologia e a fenomenologia hermenêutica de Martin Heidegger, pretendeu-se discutir a postura do profissional clínico que trabalha sob essa perspectiva, com fundamento no pensamento do autor, incluindo, principalmente, suas obras tardias e suas considerações sobre arte e linguagem. Construímos uma pesquisa qualitativa, interdisciplinar, que tangencia as áreas da psicologia, filosofia e arte. Por meio das considerações críticas fenomenológicas de Martin Heidegger, discutimos sobre a concepção de verdade que rege a psicologia enquanto ciência moderna e tange as práticas psicológicas na atualidade. Recorremos à fenomenologia hermenêutica como uma potência de superação de dicotomias. Para ilustrarmos o campo da práxis da psicologia fenomenológico-hermenêutica, entrevistamos profissionais que trabalham sob essa perspectiva. Por meio deste estudo, pretendemos levantar as problemáticas envolvendo a fenomenologia enquanto abordagem psicológica e apontar possíveis caminhos de superação dessas problemáticas, desvendando possibilidades de uma psicologia diferente a partir, como se afirmou, das contribuições da fenomenologia hermenêutica de Martin Heidegger e das suas considerações sobre a arte e a linguagem / From the intersection of psychology and the hermeneutic phenomenology of Martin Heidegger, the intention of this work was to discuss the attitude of the clinic professional that works under this perspective, based on the author\'s thought, including, particularly, his later works and his considerations on art and language. We have built a qualitative, interdisciplinary research, which touches the areas of psychology, philosophy and art. Through the critical phenomenological considerations of Martin Heidegger, we discussed the conception of truth that rules psychology as a modern science and that relates to present psychological practices. We resort to hermeneutic phenomenology as a power of overcoming dichotomies. To illustrate the field of práxis of phenomenological hermeneutic psychology, we interviewed professionals working from that perspective. Through this study, we intend to raise issues involving phenomenology as psychological approach and point out possible ways of overcoming these problems, revealing possibilities of a different psychology from, as stated, the contributions of Martin Heidegger\'s hermeneutic phenomenology and his considerations on art and language

Studien undersøker studenters sorgerfaringer som fenomen. Den fokuserer levd erfaring i handlingsperspektiv og meningsperspektiv. Innledningsvis redegjøres det for foreliggende forskning om sorgerfaring. Deretter introduseres teoretiske perspektiv som anvendes i studien. Ut fra respondentenes erfaring analyseres de rom for handling og meningsdannelse som finnes på studiestedene. Studiens formål er å utvikle dypere forståelse for hva det innebærer i studenters daglige liv å erfare sorg. Studien anvender en hermeneutisk-fenomenologisk metode, inspirert av van Manen. Datainnsamlingen ble gjennomført ved semistrukturerte forskningsintervjuer med seks respondenter, to intervjusamtaler med hver med +/- fire måneders mellomrom. I intervjuingen er det lagt vekt på meningsfortetning og tolkning i samtalene. Respondentene er tre kvinner og tre menn mellom 22 og 30 år, alle studenter som har mistet foreldre eller søsken ved dødsfall. De avdøde var fra 25-60 år, relasjon til respondenter: Tre fedre, en mor og to brødre. Databearbeidingen har foregått ved lytting og gjenlytting, skriving og analysering av lydfiler og transkriberte tekster fra forskningsintervjuene. I prosessen er det analysert fram betydningsbærende elementer fra studentenes fortellinger som så er forsøkt rekontekstualisert i møte med teoretiske perspektiv. Framstillingen sikter mot å formidle en kunnskap som er kongruent med sorgerfaringen som fenomen. Resultatet presenteres først som seks fortellinger som formidler noe vesentlig ved sorgerfaringen og skaper resonans. Deretter presenteres åtte tema som har utkrystallisert seg gjennom analysen: Å være merket (1), Sårbarhet (2), Fravær (3), "Det som har skjedd, er en del av meg" (4), Å føre noe videre (5), Dødsfall kan komplisere nære relasjoner (6), Lengsel etter den reine sorgen (7), Å holde kontakt (8). For det tredje redegjøres det for studentenes opplevde rom for handling. Til sist utvikles meningstolkning i dialog mellom studenters sorgerfaring, slik den er analysert fram i studien, nyere sorgforskning og teoretiske perspektiv. Fortellingens rolle som grunnlag for mening og konstruktiv handling viser seg avgjørende.

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Abstract Existing healthcare treatments and services for people living with serious mental illness pose a challenge for both the service provider and the recipient of care. While recovery oriented care is a priority, many healthcare practices and contextual factors pose a barrier to recovery. This study augments our awareness of the authentic lifeworld of people living with serious mental illness with the aim of gaining insights that can be used to develop healthcare practices which support recovery. This study explored the subjective experiences of people living with SMI as they expressed them through co-creative songwriting. Through a hermeneutic phenomenological analysis based in the philosophical groundwork of Heidegger and Gadamer, a thematic representation of the lifeworld of people living with SMI was developed. The findings are described in three parts: becoming broken, becoming whole and experiencing the lifeworld as transformed. Becoming broken is explored in four themes including fragmented inner and outer worlds, pain, despair and suicide. Becoming whole is achieved through catalysts of change that include connection, the sacred, beauty, and resilience. This representation is depicted using a tapestry metaphor to picture the lifeworld as torn, mended and transformed. The findings demonstrate that transformation is a spiritual process. Additionally the potential impact of the study on stigma and perceptions of mental illness is discussed. The findings are considered within the framework of Antonovsky’s theory of salutogensis. A resulting salutogenic model of mental illness and mental health as transformation is proposed. The implications for theory, research and practice are discussed in relation to the areas of recovery, salutogenesis, positive psychology and spirituality. The study recommends greater inclusion of spirituality, creative processes, and a focus on positive psychology as underutilized resources to enhance healthcare for people living with SMI. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Adolescence is a time of turbulence as young people stretch parental boundaries, seeking where they fit in society. For many American Indian adolescents this time involves the initiation of dangerous high-risk behaviors. Potential causes posed for this are: loss of identity, loss of cultural values and traditions, lack of positive role modeling and feelings of hopelessness. Survey research has been the predominant method of data collection. Very few studies of Native American youth use storytelling, even though stories are a part of many Indian cultures. The primary purpose of this study was to describe the phenomena of respect and risk from the viewpoint of the Lakota adolescent. I employed hermeneutic phenomenology with photography to help the adolescents illuminate these somewhat abstract concepts. I recruited participants from a single reservation on the Northern Plains. I collected data through non-structured interviews and participant observation. I analyzed the data using hermeneutic phenomenology based on Gadamer. Ecological systems theory provided a framework to assist me in understanding the multiple dimensions present in the adolescent’s stories. The phenomena of respect and risk from the perspective of these Lakota adolescents revealed a paradox. Each can be either positive or negative, depending upon the circumstances or the context of the situation. This paradox became the pattern among the participants. The pattern is the rock (inyan) and the wind (tate). The rock and the wind are deeply interconnected, and the influence of one may impact the other. Three themes emerged from this pattern: role modeling (positive or negative), identity, and feeling valued. These themes are consistent with current research regarding adolescent high-risk behaviors. These stories are significant in that they are personal accounts by these adolescents. This study has implications in nursing education, nursing practice, and health policy. Nursing education must attend to teaching students to listen and to become comfortable working with other cultures. As nurses advocate for future programming, it is essential that the research that guides the policies and programming be community-based action research. As society becomes more diverse, nursing must embrace many perspectives, helping all to achieve the highest quality of health and well-being.

No description available.

There were contradictions from the beginning regarding Jesuit education’s mission of faith, which does justice and supports African American male students. Limited research examined the experiences of African American males attending Jesuit secondary schools and their perceived support from Jesuit school leadership in ensuring they had increased feelings of belonging, inclusion, and culture through social justice efforts. In order to address this gap, this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study centers on the lived experiences of African American male alumni in Jesuit secondary schools regarding social justice leadership and how they make meaning of their racialized and gendered experiences while attending a predominantly White Jesuit secondary school. By utilizing African American Male Theory (AAMT) as a theoretical framework (Bush & Bush, 2013), the research informs social justice leadership practices within Jesuit education to create more inclusive learning environments. Through semi-structured interviews, journaling, and examination of artifacts, the research reimagines social justice leadership practices while contributing to a deeper understanding of how Jesuit secondary schools can better support African American males and confront racial injustice within the educational system. Data analysis included thematic analysis. Findings exposed a pervasive presence of racial violence, both physical and psychological, that was deeply rooted and entrenched in the attitude and actions of leadership. Moreover, empirical findings underscored the importance of spaces of fugitivity or Black Fugitive Space for the Black male alumni. Acting as sanctuaries, these Black Fugitive Spaces were constructed in defiance of anti-Black racism, becoming bastions for resilience, reclamation, and love.