Entry requirements

Bachelor's degree.

Progression level in relation to degree requirements

Independent course.

Course contents

The purpose of the course is for the students to acquire knowledge of how the phenomenology of empathy can be applied within professional health situations as well as in qualitative research interviews within a phenomenological psychology. The course has a focus on some of the main themes within an applied phenomenology such as empathy, social context, everyday life world and attitude. Themes such as lived body, empathy, situation, and world are examined and disclosed and reflected on as how to approach interpersonal understanding and knowledge in professional practice and qualitative research. The course is also experiential, with seminars including communicative and reflective exercises. The course mainly focuses on the phenomenology of empathy and how it is relevant to professional treatment and qualitative research interviews as well as phenomenological psychological research methodology.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student should be able to 1. analyze and critically reflect on some of the most important themes relating to the phenomenology of empathy, 2. critically reflect on how the phenomenology of empathy relates to professional work in the context of health and society, 3. analyze communication exercises and qualitative interviews using a phenomenological human science approach and methodology, and 4. compare and contrast an empirical theory of science with a phenomenological theory of science.

Learning activities

Teaching strategies follows the format of lectures and seminars, a process that ends with an individual written examination. To achieve learning objectives 1-4, the course content is first presented during lectures to contribute with an overview of each specific part of the course in which the student acquires knowledge in relation to the four learning objectives. The lectures are then followed by seminars in which each learning objective in relation to preparatory reading is processed orally.

Assessment

Learning objectives 1-4 are examined through an individual written exam. The focus of the assessment is on the student's ability to analyze and critically reflect on how the phenomenology of empathy can be used in professional treatment and in qualitative research interviews. Furthermore, the students' ability to compare a phenomenological theory of science with an empirical theory of science is assessed. To pass the course, the grade E is required on the individual written exam. To achieve the highest possible grade in the course, the grade A is required on the individual written exam. Specific criteria for grading are made explicit in the study guide. Right to re-take Students who fail the exam are given the opportunity to do two re-takes with the same course content and with the same requirements. The student also has the right to take the examination in the same course in the subsequent course according to the same rule. Examination and re-takes are carried out at the times specified in the course schedule.

Course literature

Churchill SD, (2022) Essentials of existential phenomenological research. American Psychological Association. 110 p. Englander M, (2014) Empathy training from a phenomenological perspective. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 45(1), 5-26. 21 p. Englander M, (2019) General knowledge claims in qualitative research. The Humanistic Psychologist, 47(1), 1-14. 14 p. Englander M, (2019) Phenomenological psychological interviewing. The Humanistic Psychologist. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hum0000144. 20 p. Englander M, (2024) Interpersonal phenomenology: empathy training and qualitative interviews. The Humanistic Psychologist. Advance online publication. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hum0000360. 16 p. Giorgi A, (2019) Psychology as a human science. University Professors Press. 151 p. Schutz A, (1945) On multiple realities. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 5(4), 533-576. 43 p. Throop CJ, (2018) Being open to the world. Journal of Ethnographic Theory, 8, 197-210. 13 p. Zahavi D, (2010) Empathy, embodiment and interpersonal understanding: From Lipps to Schutz. Inquiry 53(3), 285-306. 21 p. Zahavi D, (2019) Phenomenology: the basics. London: Routledge. 158 p. Scientific articles are added, approximately 200 p.

Course evaluation

Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).

Interim rules

If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.

Additional information

If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format. The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.