Interpretive and Critical Phenomenological Crime Studies: A Model Design

Qualitative Research in Crime Qualitative research methods are unique in their subjective accounts and rich detail that benefit both researchers and policymakers (Pogrebin, 2004a). In criminology studies, these methods are particularly relevant for provision of meaningful information beyond aggregate crime data and the outcomes of crime control. Moreover, this type of inquiry takes into account the complex and multivariate nature of individuals and social influences (Creswell, 2008; Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009). Pogrebin (2004b) argues that offenders' explanations must be included before the situational dynamics of offending can be fully understood. The majority of crime-related research studies are quantitative (Miller, 2008; Sherman & Strange, 2004; Taylor, 2007). Nevertheless, qualitative studies have increased as researchers recognize the need to supplement statistical models and conclusions with experiential data in studying the real world of offenders and crime (Pogrebin, 2004a). Particularly useful to crime studies is critical and interpretive phenomenology. In this approach, researchers seek to understand how and when individuals experience alterations or changes in outlooks and worldviews based on the incorporation of information and experiences in the "fluid and dynamic process of decision-making and change" (Conroy, 2003, p. 31). Smith et al. (2009) provide a comprehensive definition of interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA): IPA is a qualitative research approach committed to examination of how people make sense of their major life experiences. IPA is phenomenological in that it is concerned with exploring experience in its own terms. The philosopher Edmund Husserl famously urges phenomenologists to go "back to the things themselves," [sic] and IPA research follows his lead in this regard rather than attempting to fix experience in predefined or overly abstract categories. (p. 1) However, the critical and interpretive phenomenological approach is highly underutilized in the study of crime. This mode not only uncovers criminal participants' decisions and motivations for offending, but also allows researchers to include and reflect on their own experiences in ways that elicit deeper and more profound participant responses. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to describe a model of the interpretive phenomenological approach, illustrating its effectiveness in qualitative studies of criminology. The research question, then, is: why are interpretive phenomenological methods most appropriate for qualitative research in criminology? Such a model design could be used by both novice and experienced researchers and could provide a much-needed guide for approaches to gain better understanding of and elicit richer material from participants about their offending decisions. The significance of such a model can lead to more effective crime control strategies, shed needed light on offenders' mental processes, and encourage more effective legislation toward prevention and lower recidivism. Qualitative phenomenological data analysis is a complex and unique method of inquiry. It involves "cyclical" analysis, in which, through repetition and recurring analysis, the researcher inquires, listens, searches, compares, verifies, composites, confirms, and evaluates "in endless cycles to ensure fundamentals of knowledge" (Shin, Kim, & Chung, 2009, p. 856). The process yields an in-depth understanding of participants' experiences in many social, cultural, emotional, and psychological aspects. The interpretive approach thus includes the impacts and importance to participants of cultural, social, and political environments (Conroy, 2003; Lopez & Willis, 2004; Smith et al., 2009). This approach includes critical hermeneutics as a specialized approach to interpretive phenomenology (Thompson, 1981). With regard to the study of crime, interpretive phenomenological approaches appear to have been neglected. …