The Phenomenology of Everyday Life: Empirical Investigations of Human Experience

The Phenomenology of Everyday Life presents results from a rigorous qualitative approach to the psychological study of everyday human activities and experiences. This book does not replace scientific observation with humanistic analysis, but provides an additional perspective on significant human questions. The qualitative approach this book employs is grounded in the philosophical traditions of existentialism and phenomenology, which use dialogue as their major method of inquiry. These traditions are especially well adapted to encompass and describe human events and activities. In addition, such events can be properly investigated only on the basis of a method sensitive enough to articulate the nuances of human experience and reflection. In this latter regard, it is important to note that insights deriving from literature and the humanities are equally revealing of the human world as those from experimental psychology, biology or medicine.

• Programmatic empirical investigation of the world of everyday human experience • Clear description of phenomenological method(s) • Discussion of topics that affect everyone (loneliness, ageing, death)

Preface; Part I. Existential-Phenomenology and the Science of Psychology: 1. The nature of human experience; 2. Dialogue as method: the phenomenological interview; Part II. Grounding the World of Everyday Life: 3. The body as lived: themes in the human experience of the human body; 4. Time in human life; 5. The human experience of other people; Part III. Selected Topics from Everyday Life: 6. Feeling alone; 7. Making amends: the psychology of reparation; 8. Love and loving; 9. Falling apart; 10. The meanings of death in the context of life; Part IV. The Phenomenology of Everyday Life: 11. Toward an empirical existential-phenomenological psychology; References; Indexes.