Analysis methods in hermeneutic phenomenological research: interpretive profiles

Oerther, Sarah

Analysis methods in hermeneutic phenomenological research: interpretive profiles

Frontiers of Nursing

Volume 7 (2020): Issue 4 (December 2020)

By: Sarah Oerther

Open Access

|Jan 2021

Figures & Tables

Figure 1

Creation of an interpretive profile.

Example of an interpretive profile_

Section	Content
Section 1: Provide a definition of a case	A case will be defined as a married or cohabitating parenting dyad from an urban community with at least one teenage child.
Section 2: Background on the participant	White married couple. Carl is 36 and Cat is 32. They have a 14-year-old son and twin boys, who are 10 years old. Carl was born in Nevada and went to school to become a chef. He is currently working full time as a chef at a nursing home. Cat was born in Nevada as well. She earned a two-year college degree and is currently a stay-at-home mom. She homeschools their three children. Their household income is between $10,000 and $50,000 per year and they often struggle to pay their monthly bills. They receive Medicaid and generally see their primary care provider at a federally funded health clinic or go to a walk-in clinic if they cannot get an appointment. Neither has served in the military. They do not have a telephone land line but they do have internet access. Everyone in the household owns a cell phone.No family pictures were in the living room. The living room was decorated with interesting decoration from around the world. For instance, the sofa had a blanket on it that was made in Kenya. Cat did most of the talking in the beginning but by the end of the conversation Carl was willing to jump in and seemed to enjoy offering his perspective. They reference “bad fights.” Cat struggles with depression.Cat homeschools the children using a method called “unschooling.” Unschooling is a form of education at home. Unschooling is different from other forms of home-schooling education in which the education of the student is not directed by a teacher and curriculum. Carl seems to question the benefits of “unschooling” but he seems to support Cat. Carl was very much worried when the oldest child was not able read until he was 9 years old. However, he eventually learned to read, so he is confident their younger children will learn how to read. Cat is very unstructured with “unschooling.” Instead of having a routine, she leaves projects around the house that may interest the children, hoping they will decide to engage in the projects.The family owns a Taco truck. When Carl isn’t working as a chef, the family travels around the State with their Taco truck.I was surprised that one of the 11 yr. old twins is going through puberty prior to his older brothers. Puberty seems emotional for him. Carl and Cat both seem to favor him because he is more mature than his other brothers.Carl and Cat have a “polyarmous” relationship. They describe their relationship as practice of, or desire for, intimate relationships with more than one partner, with the consent of all partners involved. They view their relationship as a responsible “non-monogamy.” Last summer Carl's girlfriend lived with them. This relationship lasted 5 months. According to Cat, Carl was very “bummed” when the relationship ended and all the children were very worried about him. After I turned off the taper recorder, Cat self-described their family as the “Chaos family.” She says they have always had a chaotic life. At times they have moved leaving furniture and valuables behind. She said they did this because they were “young and free spirited.” She regrets some of these choices.Recently Cat found out she was pregnant with their 4th child. Cat would like to establish more family routines with this child because she is “tired of the chaos.”
Section 3: Coded excerpts related to study aims	Aim 1—Reveal parenting demands and practices of parents raising teenage children Engaging in activities with their children was a common pattern related to parenting pre-teen children. Carl went out of his way to spend time with his pre-teen son. Carl does not make much money, so spending time with his children involved doing things at home. When asked what they did together, he responded: “I don’t have a lot of money most of the time so I like to relax around the house.... we just can’t do too much, so when I’m sittin’ around the house and I try to talk to my son or play video games with him.”