Michael van Manen
How should we understand meaning in relation to text in phenomenological research? What weight should we give to context or situation? How do we consider the words we use to name a phenomenon or those with whom we may engage? What are the limits and possibilities for text? In this article, we approach the meaning of textuality in phenomenological research. While phenomenological research cannot be reduced to textuality, we may appreciate how, through the engagement with language in writing and reading, we may gain insights and understandings for everyday and extraordinary experiences. This pairing of writing and reading should not forget that we do not get objective accounts from text but instead, interpretations. And so, we may specify the speaking of text to afford an interpretation: whereby the crafting of text affords the bringing out of a possible interpretation.