Understanding a Presented Problem from a Phenomenological Perspective

Authors

Anant Jain, University of Denver

Abstract

Social work and other helping professions utilize knowledge generated by social sciences to understand human behavior and human problems. Social sciences follow positivistic and humanistic philosophies. The former claims that methodologies applicable to natural sciences should be applicable to social sciences. The latter believes that positivistic methods are reductionist and social sciences should develop their own methodology because they deal with a unique subject matter--human beings. Phenomenology, a branch of humanistic thinking, has been offered as a perspective to understand the presented problem by the client. Several cases are utilized to highlight the role of a professional in understanding the presented problem following a phenomenological perspective.

Recommended Citation

Jain, Anant (1985) "Understanding a Presented Problem from a Phenomenological Perspective," The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare: Vol. 12: Iss. 2, Article 12.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15453/0191-5096.1710
Available at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jssw/vol12/iss2/12