Fusing horizons in qualitative research

Gadamer and cultural resonances

Bibliographic Data

ID12733453
AuthorsAdi Barak (0000-0003-0867-2007, Bar-Ilan University, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume19
Issue3
Pages768-783
Publication date2020-12-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Research in Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1478-0887 • E-ISSN: 1478-0895
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14780887.2020.1854403
OpenAlexW3117944629
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited51

In this article, I explore the intersection between Hans Georg Gadamer’s ‘fusion of horizons’ and interpreter’s ‘prejudices,’ together with the concept of cultural resonances as they pertain to qualitative research in psychology. I define cultural resonances as the researcher’s different cultural associations and/or connotations (e.g., myths, legends, popular media references), that emerge in an interpretive encounter with a text. Through a reading of Gadamer’s theory, I further explain how cultural resonances are contained within what he referred to as the interpreter’s language, prejudice, horizon, and play. Therefore, inspired by Gadamer’s assertion that understanding is always a process in which different worlds of knowledge (horizons) fuse together, and with reference to psychoanalytic reverie, Boesch’s concepts of cultural psychology, and narrative theory, I discuss cultural resonances as a horizon that inevitably unfolds in qualitative research. Finally, relying on the different topics discussed in the article, I offer a Gadamer-inspired framework for using cultural resonances in qualitative interpretation. The limitations of this framework, as well as its advantages, are discussed, with regard to reflexivity, power, rigor, and cultural sensitivity

Assertion · Epistemology · Hermeneutics · Interpretation (philosophy · Interpreter · Linguistics · Narrative · Psychoanalysis · Psychoanalytic theory · Reflexivity · Social science · Sociology · Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Philosophy · Psychology · Social Representations and Identity