Researching non-symbolic lifeworlds supported by Merleau-Ponty's methodology.

Authors

Kristin Vindhol Evensen, Synne Nese Skarsaune

Published in

Journal of intellectual & developmental disability. Pages 1-11. Sep 02, 2026. Epub Sep 02, 2026.

Abstract

This article demonstrates the value of applying phenomenology in qualitative early childhood disability research. It offers methodological guidance for disability scholars to support the inclusion of the perspectives of people who communicate non-symbolically.
Drawing on the film The Humming Child (Sundby, 2011), which portrays Agnes, a young girl with complex intellectual disabilities, we use essential elements of Merleau-Ponty's extensive work to propose four applied phenomenological methodological cues: "Embodied expressivity is valid," "Make yourselves visible," "Accept the possibilities for ambiguity," and "Address vulnerability to ensure ethically sound projects."
These methodological cues show that embodied phenomenology is valuable in countering dominant scientific epistemologies in disability research, including research involving people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. Expanding epistemological limits to generate valid knowledge can include those previously omitted.
Merleau-Ponty's embodied phenomenology offers valuable methodological insights for understanding non-symbolic perspectives expressed through movement.

PMID:
42686636
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 03 Sep 2026.

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