Disciplines and Ideas in

the Social Sciences

Quarter 1 – Module 10:
Hermeneutical Phenomenology
 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
understand Hermeneutical Phenomenology as an approach in Social Sciences. The
scope of this lesson permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The
language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The module are
arranged to follow the standard sequence of the course. However, the order in
which you read them can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now
using.

This module will discuss HERMENEUTICAL PHENOMENOLOGY.

After going through this lesson, you are expected to:

1. Analyze the significance data of Hermeneutical Phenomenology.

(HUMSS_DIS 11-IVd-9)

Objectives:
1. Interpret personal and social experiences using hermeneutical
phenomenology as one of the dominant approaches in the social sciences.
2. Understand the significance of data in employing hermeneutical
phenomenology.
3. Analyze the basic concepts and principles of hermeneutical
phenomenology as one of the major ideas in social sciences.
 What I Know

PRE-ASSESSMENT

A. Answer the diagnostic activity below to check on what you know about
the topic.
 The interpretive epistemological perspective believes that knowledge is seen
multifaceted in nature. If you want to get a deeper understanding of what
poverty is in the Philippines particularly in your local community and you
want to find appropriate action to address it, it is therefore crucial to define
“poverty” as a concept. Given this, how will you define it?

Instructions:
 Solicit answers about the definition of “poverty” among your classmates or
among your households and neighbors, at least minimum of 10 participants.
 Collect the data gathered and code it as if you were doing a qualitative
research sampling.
 Once you have coded the response from the participants/respondents, write
the summary of the responses, you can make use of different graphical
presentation such as table, pie chart and the likes.

Guide Questions:
 Is there a significant difference between the answers of the respondents
about the definition of poverty?
 Why do you think there’s a difference on their answer?
 Do you think data gathering will help you better understand a certain
phenomenon? Why?

B. Multiple Choice. Select the best answer from the options provided.

1. This refers to a person’s perception of the meaning of an event, as opposed

to the event as exist externally to (outside of) that person.
A. Hermeneutics
B. Phenomenology
C. Perception
D. Interpretation
2. He is an ancient Greek God who served to interpret messages from other
Gods.
A. Athena
B. Zeus
C. Demeter
D. Hermes
3. It is a name for various methods of analysis, which are based on
interpreting.
A. Phenomenological Analysis
B. Qualitative analysis
C. Hermeneutical analysis
 D. Research analysis
4. This type of analysis is based on discussions and reflections of direct sense
perception and experiences of the researched phenomenon.
A. Phenomenological Analysis
B. Qualitative analysis
C. Hermeneutical analysis
D. Research analysis
5. What kind of research is a hermeneutic research?
A. Quantitative Research
B. Mix-method research
C. Descriptive Type
D. Qualitative research

C. Let’s analyze!
Analyze the words below. Write your perception/interpretation towards each
phenomenon in the box provided.

PHENOMENON INTERPRETATION

 Funeral

 Same sex marriage

 Political dynasty

 Distance learning

 Federalism
Lesson
Hermeneutical
10 Phenomenology

From the interpretative epistemological perspective, knowledge is multifaceted in

nature, establishing research methods that reveal the expressions of the
participant’s social reality. Both hermeneutics and phenomenology are strains of
interpretative epistemology, focusing on the examination of one’s social reality and
subjective familiarity and acquaintance with a particular topic.

What’s In

Review your knowledge about Feminist theory, Gender inequality and gender
ideology
Make a triple Venn diagram to differentiate and determine the relationships
between Feminist Theory, Gender inequality and Gender ideology.

Guide Questions:
1. What is Feminist Theory?
2. How different is gender inequality from gender ideology?
3. What is the relationship of feminist theory to gender ideology and gender
inequality?
 Note for the Teacher

In order to make this lesson easy to teach by the teacher/facilitator

she/he has first an eye view about the concept:

Hermeneutical Phenomenology
 What’s New

Picture Analysis

Look for at least 5 persons to be interviewed about their perception on the given
picture below? Write their responses on your notebook.

https://financialtribune.com/articles/worl
d-economy/87418/philippines-should-do-
more-to-end-poverty

Process Questions:

1. Did you get same or different response from the people you have
interviewed?
2. Why do you think there is a difference on the perception of the interviewees
though they were given exactly the same picture?
3. Is it normal for people to have different perception about things around us?
 What is It

In hermeneutical phenomenology, we are trapped in a world that is already

full of meaning- with its other people, its histories and cultures, and its events. To
bring light and reflect upon the lived meaning of this basic experience is the
purpose of hermeneutical phenomenology.

HERMENEUTICAL PHENOMENOLOGY is a qualitative research

methodology that arose out of and remains closely tied to phenomenological
philosophy, a strand of continent philosophy.

Phenomenology refers to a person’s perception of the meaning of an event,

as opposed to the event as exist externally to (outside of) that person.
HERMENEUTICS - In the study of literary texts, scholars frequently adhere
to a set of rules or a specific system on which to base their interpretation. The
specific rules used to interpret and understand a text are known collectively as
hermeneutics.

In ancient Greek mythology, the god Hermes served to interpret messages

from the other gods. Like Hermes' name, the term hermeneutics comes from the
Greek word for 'interpreter'. Aristotle first noted the concept of utilizing a system to
interpret texts in early writings.

Hermeneutics has different ways of recognizing how interpretations maybe

done. The table below summarizes this hermeneutic system.

HERMENEUTIC CIRCLE
Hermeneutics is a process of interpretation. It is a translational, back-and-forth
process between knower and known; between the self and the phenomena one is
trying to understand. The more one knows of the external object (often a text of
some sort), the more one can know of the self. The more one is able to fit the
situated perspective of self – as the “I” who is interpreting the world in the here-
and-now- into a contextualized historical perspective, the more one can envision
the situated context of the writer of a text from the past. This iterative process is
known as the hermeneutic circle, named for Hermes, the mythological
messenger/interpreter of the Gods.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Hermeneutical Phenomenology

Strengths  It direct attention to the internal world of human experience
 Recognizes the power of individual interpretation
 Looks into the value of textual meaning and dialogues
 Reflection tries to move between the internal and external
worlds

Weaknesses  Vagueness of the method, too much use of abstraction to

explain things or phenomena
 Lacks clarity or sacrifices clarity to achieve a good grasp of
some important topics
 The external world of nature can be discussed with great
precision but the risk minimizing or even overlooking the
importance of the human world, even to the point of denying
that there is an internal world of self-consciousness.
 Heavy reliance or dependency on a hermeneutical circle.

HERMENEUTIC ANALYSIS
Hermeneutic Analysis is a name for various methods of analysis, which are
based on interpreting. The strategy forms an opposite to those research strategies,
which stress objectivity and independence of interpretations in the formations in
formation of knowledge. You can combine hermeneutic analysis with other
methods of analysis that aim to interpret and understand meanings. A combination
of the rules of hermeneutics and phenomenology forms phenomenological
hermeneutic analysis. Hermeneutic analysis also forms the basis of various
discipline-specific methods of analysis and close readings methods.

HERMENEUTIC RESEARCH

Hermeneutic research enables you to make interpretations and gain an in-

depth understanding of the researched phenomenon. Hermeneutic research
emphasizes subjective interpretations in the research of meanings of texts, art,
culture, social phenomena and thinking. Thus, the strategy forms an opposite to
those research strategies, which stress objectivity and independence from
interpretations in the formation of knowledge. You can use a variety of approaches
and methods of analysis, as well as discipline-specific methods, to interpret
phenomena but you need to bear in mind that hermeneutic research is a
qualitative research strategy.

PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Phenomenological analysis is based on discussions and reflections of direct

sense perception and experiences of the researched phenomenon. A starting point
of the strategy is your ability to approach a project without a priori assumptions,
definitions or theoretical frameworks. A key aspect of this method of analysis is
phenomenological reduction. Phenomenological analysis is a broad and loose name
for various types of analysis based on the phenomenological orientation of the
Philosophy of science. These orientations lay emphasis on experiences,
interpretations and bodily sensations. You can combine phenomenological analysis
with other modes of analysis. A combination of the rules of phenomenological
analysis and hermeneutics is known as phenomenological hermeneutic analysis.
Phenomenological research enables you to explore experiences and sensory
perception (different to abstract perceptions) of researched phenomenon, and the
formation of understanding based on these experiences and perceptions. Your
research strategy is based, therefore, on either your own or other people’s
experiences and sensory perceptions.

Hermeneutical Phenomenology is a qualitative type of research. In most cases,

social sciences employ this type of research analysis to interpret and understand
certain phenomenon. During the pre-activity, you were asked to solicit the
definition of the word poverty among your classmates and peers, after gathering the
data, you might have noticed that there is a difference on how respondents define
the word poverty. With the help of hermeneutics which enables you to make
interpretations and gain an in-depth understanding of the researched phenomenon
and phenomenology that is based on discussions and reflections of direct sense
perception and experiences of the researched phenomenon, you will be able to
come up with better understanding about certain concept. Same with social
sciences, hermeneutical phenomenology is best suited for researches in social
sciences because it allows you to have a better grip and understanding about
different phenomenon concerning different concepts in social sciences.
 What’s More

Activity 1.1

Task: Based from your answer on the previous activity on how you defined
“poverty” make a demographic profile of at least 10 households in your local
community and have the data collected after getting their responses.

Example Demographic Profile:

Name (optional)
Age and Sex
Educational Attainment
Nature of Work
How many are they in the household?
How much is their total combined salary
per month?
How do you define poverty?

Note * you can add more questions depending on the need and how you have
defined “poverty” from the previous activity.

Independent Assessment 1.1

Answer the following questions based from the demographic profile that you
have gathered.

1. How is the response of the participants differ from your own definition of
poverty?
2. Was the data collection made a clearer picture of how poverty is being
defined? How?
3. Does the demographic profile of the respondents affect their definition of
poverty?
4. How can you relate the definition of knowledge being multifaceted in nature
to the outcome of the activity?

Activity 1.2

1. Use the data from the previous activity. Using Power point presentation (if
has access to a laptop/computer) or manila paper and pentel pen, in a table
format, present the data collected from the demographic profiling that you
did and your own definition of poverty.
2. Make a short video of yourself discussing the presentation that you have
created or write an explanation about the summary of findings based from
the table that you have created.
Activity 1.3

Think of a particular issue and create a short video advertisement campaign or

flyers about the issue you have thought of, and how do you think hermeneutical
phenomenology can be of help to resolve the issue.

 1-2 minutes video advertisement

 Avoid sensitive and obscene language
 The ad campaign should be persuasive

5 3 1
Rubric:
Points Points Point

Power of the
The ad is great and believable
advert

Use powerful and persuasive language

Language
but not obscene/foul

Overall The concept was excellent, sound and

Concept/design imaging was on point

Independent Assessment 1.3

Data gathering and interpretation

After you have created the video advertisement or campaign flyer do the following:

 Post the video on Facebook and print a screen shot of the likes and
comments from people who reacted on the video campaign.

 Gather the data collected from the likes and comment and create a data
presentation and interpretation of the likes and comment.
 For Campaign Flyers: Make use of the time to reproduce copies of the flyer
and give them to your peers or anyone from your neighbourhood, using
interview method, ask for their responses after.
 Code the responses from the interview and make a presentation of the data.
 What I Have Learned

Discuss briefly the things that you have learned from the topic and its
relevance to your life as a senior high school student?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

What I Can Do

Application: It is said that knowledge is multifaceted in nature, a science of

interpretation like hermeneutics and phenomenology could be a dominant
approach to these issue. Think of a scenario in your local community and how do
you think this can be resolve thru hermeneutical phenomenology?
Show your answer through a short tiktok or Vlog. The Vblog or tiktok should not be
more than 5 minutes but minimum of 2 minutes.

Rubric for Tiktok/Vlog 5 4 3 2 1

Layout and 1.Layout and Design are appropriate
Design 2.Videos are arrange in order that
makes sense to the viewer
Audibility 1.Viewers can clearly hear
speakers/sound in the video
Content 1.The content was relatable
2. excellent content and original
Length The length of the tiktok/vlog did not
exceed 5 minutes but longer than 2
minutes.
 Assessment

True or False. Write TRUE if the statement is correct, FALSE if not.

_____1. From the explanatory epistemological perspective, knowledge is

multifaceted in nature, creating research methods that reveal the expressions of
the participant’s social certainty.

_____2. Phenomenology is the study of experiences and consciousness.

_____3. Hermeneutical phenomenology came from two philosophical ideas,
hermeneutics and phenomenology.

_____4. Hermeneutics is a wider discipline that study written, verbal and nonverbal
communication.

_____5. One strength of hermeneutical phenomenology is that the reflection tries to

move between the internal and external worlds.
_____6. One weakness of hermeneutical phenomenology is that it looks into the
value of textual meaning and dialogues.

_____7. Hermeneutical phenomenology directs attention to the internal world of

human experience.

_____8. Hermeneutics does not have diverse ways of recognizing how

interpretations maybe done.
_____9. To bring light and reflect upon the lived meaning of this basic experience is
the purpose of hermeneutical phenomenology.

_____10. Vagueness of the method, too much use of abstraction to explain things or
phenomena are just some of the advantages of hermeneutical phenomenology.

_____11. Phenomenological analysis is based on discussions and reflections of

direct sense perception and experiences of the researched phenomenon.
_____12. Hermeneutic research is always a quantitative research strategy.

_____13. Phenomenological research strategy is mainly based on your own

experiences and perceptions.
_____14. In ancient Greek mythology, the god Hermes served to interpret messages
from the other Gods.

_____15. Hermeneutical phenomenology is a quantitative research methodology

that arose out of and remains closely tied to phenomenological philosophy, a
strand of continent philosophy.
 Additional Activities

Research on the usage of hermeneutical phenomenology in research writing. Write

your answer on your notebook.

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
References

Arcinas, M. Phd., Discipline and Ideas in the Social Sciences, Phoenix Publishing

House INC. QC, pp 142-154

Alforno, Chano, February 03, 2009,

https://www.slideshare.net/ChanoAlfornon/hermeneutical-phenomenology-

130347047?from_action=save
Unknown, A Little Riff on Hermeneutics, October 23, 2011,

http://topophilian.blogspot.com/2011/10/little-riff-on-hermeneutics.html
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