Max van Manen
Professor Emeritus - University of Alberta
Writing in the Dark brings together a wide range of studies of relevance to qualitative researchers and professional practitioners. Each chapter is an example of how a different kind of human experience may be explored, and how the methods used for investigating phenomena may contribute to the process of human understanding. Max van Manen provides the opening and closing chapters for the book, and also an introduction to each selection. The authors are all accomplished professionals in their respective fields; they show how the challenge of doing qualitative research can be pursued through the process of inquiry, reflection and writing. The sixteen chapters offer the reader compelling insights into topics of concern to education, health science, clinical psychology, information technology, the designing arts, pedagogy, and related dimensions of everyday life. Writing in the dark is a valuable and rich resource for people who would like to learn more about phenomenological reflection and writing.
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1
- Writing Phenomenology
- Max van Manen
Chapter 2
- Ritualized Experiences
- The Nursing “How Are You?”
- Brenda L Cameron
Chapter 3
- Aesthetic Experiences
- Drawing to Attention
- Rose Montgomery-Whicher
Chapter 4
- Common Experiences
- “The Look” in Teacher’s Performance Evaluation
- Peggy Ann Howard
Chapter 5
- Uncommon Experiences
- Living with “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder”
- Mary Haase
Chapter 6
- Variable Experiences
- Classroom Conversation
- Shuying Li
Chapter 7
- Novel Experiences
- Keeping in Touch by Electronic Mail
- Teresa Dobson
Chapter 8
- Modern Experiences
- Stepmothering
- Verna Schmidt
Chapter 9
- Ambiguous Experiences
- Modes of Waiting
- Mikio Fujita
Chapter 10
- Ineffable Experiences
- Memories of Breathing
- Monica Clarke
Chapter 11
- Forgotten Experiences
- When a Child Feels Left Alone
- Anna Kirova
Chapter 12
- Remembered Experiences
- Remembering the Childhood Loss of a Mother
- Darlene L. Witte-Townsend
Chapter 13
- Scientized Experiences
- Experiencing Diagnosis
- Yvonne Hayne
Chapter 14
- Cultivated Experiences
- Learning Retreat Meditation
- Philo Hove
Chapter 15
- Technological Experiences
- Is there a Body in this Class?
- Norm Friesen
Chapter 16
- Writing in the Dark
- Max van Manen