Foundations of Phenomenological and Hermeneutical Psychology   [Archived Catalog]
2019-2020 Academic Catalog and Student Handbook
   

EHP 3515 - Foundations of Phenomenological and Hermeneutical Psychology


Phenomenology was influential on the development of existential philosophy and psychology , and is often considered a foundational to contemporary existential and humanistic psychology. This course begins with an overview of phenomenological philosophy and psychology, then utilizes this foundation to consider a critique of contemporary mainstream psychology. The scholarship of Husserl, Heidegger, and Giorgi will be considered. Hermeneutics, which comes from Greek ἐρμηνεύς (ermēneús, "translator, interpreter"), is the theory of textual interpretation. Hermeneutics has been influential on qualitative and humanistic perspectives in psychology. The second part of this course examines how hermeneutics relates to psychology, and considers the influences of Ricoeur, Habermas, and Zahavi, among others. Additionally, the course will compare and contrast phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches to psychology and psychological research. 3 credit(s)