The term ‘hermeneutic’ has recently been appearing in the occupational therapy literature related to clinical reasoning but without an adequate definition of its meaning. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to offer a simple introduction to the term and discuss how it applies to clinical reasoning, thus providing occupational therapists with some of the language they will need to understand this relatively new concept fully. Drawing on literature from nursing, physiotherapy, psychology and occupational therapy, this article examines a hermeneutic approach to occupational therapy research and practice and, indeed, to an understanding of the concept of occupational therapy itself.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BarrisR, (1984) Cited in: KortmanB, (1995) The eye of the beholder: Models in occupational therapy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(12), 532–36.
2.
BennerP, (1994) The tradition and skill of interpretive phenomenology in studying health, illness, and caring practices. In: BennerP, ed. Interpretive phenomenology: Embodiment, caring and ethics in health and illness. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
3.
BennerPTannerCCheslaC, (1992) From beginner to expert: Gaining a differentiated clinical world in critical care nursing. Advances in Nursing, 14, 13–28.
4.
BreinesEB, (1995) Understanding ‘occupation’ as the founders did. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(11), 458–60.
5.
ClarkFLarsonEA, (1993) Developing an academic discipline: The science of occupation. In: HopkinsHLSmithHD, eds. Willard and Spackman's occupational therapy. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott.
6.
ConteJConteW, (1977) Cited in: KortmanB, (1995) The eye of the beholder: Models in occupational therapy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58 (12), 532–36.
7.
DiltheyW, (1900) The development of hermeneutics. In: RickmanH, ed. and trans. (1976) Dilthey: Selected writings. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
8.
DreyfusHL, (1994) Preface. In: BennerP, ed. Interpretive phenomenology: Embodiment, caring, and ethics in health and illness. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
9.
ElliotR, (1989) Comprehensive process analysis: Understanding the change process in significant therapy events. In: PackerMJAddisonRB, eds. Entering the circle: Hermeneutic investigation in psychology. Albany: State University of New York Press.
10.
FlemingMH, (1991) The therapist with the three-track mind. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 45, 1007–14.
11.
FlemingMH, (1993) Aspects of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy. In: HopkinsHLSmithHD, eds. Willard and Spackman's occupational therapy. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott.
12.
FlemingMH, (1994) A common sense practice in an uncommon world. In: MattinglyCFlemingMH. Clinical reasoning: Forms of inquiry in a therapeutic practice. Philadelphia: FA Davis.
13.
FlemingMHMattinglyC, (1994a) Giving language to practice. In: MattinglyCFlemingMH. Clinical reasoning: Forms of inquiry in a therapeutic practice. Philadelphia: FA Davis.
14.
FlemingMHMattinglyC, (1994b) The underground practice. In: MattinglyCFlemingMH. Clinical reasoning: Forms of inquiry in a therapeutic practice. Philadelphia: FA Davis.
15.
GilliganC, (1982) In a different voice: Psychological theory and women's development. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
16.
HannamDA, (1995) Acts of meaning: Or routine activity? Unpublished MSc dissertation. Exeter: University of Exeter.
17.
HagedornR, (1992) Occupational therapy: Foundations for practice: Models, frames of reference and core skills. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
18.
HeideggerM, (1927) Being and time. MacquarrieJRobinsonE, trans. (1962) New York: Harper and Row.
19.
HollisV, (1993) Core skills and competencies: Part 4, application and expectation. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56(5), 181–85.
20.
JangY, (1995) Chinese culture and occupational therapy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(3), 103–108.
21.
JenkinsMBrothertonC, (1995) In search of a theoretical framework for practice, parts 1 and 2. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(7), 280–85, 58(8), 332–36.
22.
KellyGMcFarlaneH, (1991) Zen and the art of occupational therapy, part 1. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 54(3), 95–100.
23.
KellyL, (1995) What occupational therapists can learn from traditional healers. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(3), 111–14.
24.
KortmanB, (1995) The eye of the beholder: Models in occupational therapy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(12), 532–36.
25.
LeonardVW, (1994) A Heideggerian phenomenological perspective on the concept of the person. In: BennerP, ed. Interpretive phenomenology: Embodiment, caring, and ethics in health and illness. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
26.
MattinglyC, (1993) Commentary: Alternative approaches to research in physical therapy: Positivism and phenomenology. Physical Therapy, 73, 98–100.
27.
MattinglyC, (1994) Occupational therapy as a two-body practice: The lived body. In: MattinglyCFlemingMH. Clinical reasoning: Forms of inquiry in a therapeutic practice. Philadelphia: FA Davis.
28.
MunroeH, (1993) Clinical reasoning: Telling how we think (editorial). British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 56(3), 83.
29.
McKayEARyanS, (1995) Clinical reasoning through story telling: Examining a student's case study on a fieldwork placement. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(6), 234–38.
30.
OuthwaiteW, (1987) New philosophies of social science: Realism, hermeneutics and critical theory. London: MacMillan.
31.
PackerMJ, (1985) Hermeneutic inquiry in the study of human conflict. American Psychologist, 40, 1081–93.
32.
PackerMJ, (1989) Tracing the hermeneutic circle. In: PackerMJAddisonRB, eds. Entering the circle: Hermeneutic investigation in psychology. Albany: State University of New York Press.
33.
PlagerKA, (1994) Hermeneutic phenomenology. In: BennerP, ed. Interpretive phenomenology: Embodiment, caring, and ethics in health and illness. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
34.
ReedKL, (1993) The beginnings of occupational therapy. In: HopkinsHLSmithHD, eds. Willard and Spaceman's occupational therapy. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott.
35.
RogersJC, (1983) Clinical reasoning: The ethics, science and art. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 3, 601–16.
36.
SchutzA, (1975) On phenomenology and social relations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
37.
ShepardKFJensenGMSchmollBJHackLMGwyerJ, (1993) Alternative approaches to research in physical therapy: Positivism and phenomenology. Physical Therapy, 73, 88–101.
38.
TannerC, (1983) Research on clinical judgement. In: FitzpatrickJTautonR, eds. Annual review of nursing research. New York: Springer.
39.
TaylorJ, (1995) A different voice in occupational therapy. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(4), 170–74.
40.
WarnkeG, (1987) Gadamer: Hermeneutics, tradition and reason. Cambridge: Polity Press.
41.
ZhangL, (1992) The Tao and the Logos: Literary hermeneutics, East and West. Durham: Duke University Press.
