Phenomenological inquiry, disability and physical education
Maureen Connolly
Routledge eBooks November 17, 2025 DOI: 10.4324/9781003452942-14 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that phenomenology, which treats body and consciousness as inseparable, is an appropriate methodology for research on disability and physical education, and proposes that "phenomenological attunement" can be taught and practiced and is a practical means of engaging authentically with disabled people in research. |
Abstract
Phenomenology is the study of how experience is made meaningful in and by an embodied consciousness. Phenomenologists do not separate body and consciousness; rather, they celebrate its interconnected messiness and promise. This makes phenomenology an appropriate methodology for researchers engaging in the intersections between disability and physical education. In this chapter, I describe how phenomenological attunement can be taught, practiced, and improved, and that this attunement, far from being esoteric or abstract, is deeply and honorably practical, and allows for authentic engagement with disabled people in research processes.