Researching the Intangible: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study of the Everyday Practices of Belonging

Abstract

How can the intangible aspects of everyday life be uncovered? A phenomenological approach has its origins in the everyday but also allows everything to be questioned. In studying belonging a phenomenological approach supported by a variety of qualitative methods produced a wealth of ‘insider’ information that could have been missed using more traditional methods. The research was based around multi-generational family groups as a family narrative focuses on relations between different family members over the generations rather than on an individual biography. Biographical interviews in family groups allowed families to talk about their lives together. Diaries put the direction of the research in the hands of the participants thus reversing, to some extent, the traditional power relations between researcher and researched. Through written and photo diaries participants shared details of their daily lives which might have been more difficult to elicit in a formal interview situation. The photos allowed the researcher to ‘visit’ places which are a part of the daily life of participants in a subtle and non-intrusive manner. These research approaches privilege the voices of the participants in research into their lives. Through demonstrating the richness of the data collected this article argues that such approaches could be used more widely.

Exploring the Suburban Ideal

“…Understanding the lifeworlds of others may be best achieved through ethnographic observation and participation, yet this is not always practical and may not capture participants’ meaning (Bennett, 2014). Other sources of data may, therefore, be better suited to understanding lived experience and its meaning (Bennett, 2013; Plunkett, Leipert, & Ray, 2013). These include photographs, logbooks, and interviews (Lopez & Willis, 2004; Sandelowski, 1995).…”

“…Within research into residents’ experiences of their neighborhoods and/or communities, PEI has also been used to explore living in underprivileged areas (Kasemets, 2014), racial constructions (Leddy-Owen, 2014), and the demolition of a residential area characterized by segregation (Altenberger & Robertson, 2013). Researchers have also used pictures, often in combination with diaries and interviews, to discuss the meaning participants ascribe to particular places (Bennett, 2013; Harper, 2004; Latham, 2003; Moore et al, 2008). For instance, Latham (2003) used photographic and written diaries to explore the ways urban places, including a particular hospitality strip in downtown Auckland, “become” through the interweaving of the lives of the individuals who use them.…”

Senses of belonging when living in foster care families: Insights from children’s video diaries

“…Belonging in family relations is thus not a state to be accomplished once and for all, but rather an ongoing achievement through dynamic practices (May, 2011). As Bennett (2014) argues, belonging is often an unconscious part of everyday life, perhaps first considered when one does not feel it. Children placed in foster care experience a change (sometimes several) in their everyday family setting, and as they move between different potential ‘belonging settings’ their senses of belonging can become conscious.…”

“…Children placed in foster care experience a change (sometimes several) in their everyday family setting, and as they move between different potential ‘belonging settings’ their senses of belonging can become conscious. Belonging then becomes an explicit process of revealing if and how they ‘feel comfortable, at home, at place’ (Bennett, 2014: 1) in their respective family settings. In childhood studies, the concept of belonging has recently been applied to migration research, exploring children with a migration background and their sense of belonging (see Bak and von Brömssen, 2010; Den Besten, 2010; McGovern and Devine, 2016).…”

Experiences of Family Belonging among Two Generations of Sexually Diverse Australians

“…Among these consequences is the missed opportunity to deepen understanding of the circumstances and expressions that characterize experiences of family support. This is not unique to the study of families of LGBTQ+ people; indeed, Bennett observed () that “there is more academic literature relating to not belonging than to belonging” (p. 1). However, given broad recognition of the importance of family acceptance and support for queer youth (Shilo & Savaya, ), there is a particular urgency to understanding the conditions that both facilitate and complicate belonging in this context.…”