A Genealogy of "Phenomenology" in Architectural Research: An Epistemology Discussion through Dissertations

Abstract

Purpose Throughout the scientific process, architectural research has always been in tendency to highlight some research fields according to the spirit of the periods. This study is an inquiry on deciphering such "research trends" in architectural research within the framework of a specified area of study. This inquiry aims to draw a genealogy of "phenomenology" within the realm of architecture by making a specific discussion on whether this issue has been a privileged research subject or not. Design/Methodology/Approach In order to make an analysis on privileged subjects of particular periods, it is decided to use some dissertations, which are obtained from ProQuest database. The methodological approach of the study begins with dividing the periods of architectural research into six decades, which starts from 1960's up to the present. After the separation of the periods, 3 major keywords are chosen to be questioned. The dissertations are chosen among the results obtained by scanning the keywords at once, which are phenomenology, architectural body and spatial experience. The chosen dissertations are grouped according to their decades. All findings are gathered in a table, which includes lots of information such as the doctoral dissertations, annotations of their approaches, their numbers from decade to decade, epistemological frameworks, theoretical perspectives and methodologies. Findings As a result, architectural phenomenology appears as a privileged subject in architectural research. However, the findings show that there are some notable changes especially in the terms in certain decades. While meaning term had been used before 1980s, phenomenology appears as a favored term after 1980s. Especially with the late 2000s, architectural phenomenology begins to be a privileging research area. As a result of being a research trend, a sub-field emerges after 2000s that directly criticizes the theories of phenomenology itself, which is post-phenomenology. Research Limitations/Implications Because of not reaching much effective results, the other databases are not employed. ProQuest is the only database throughout the research process, which provides the most effective results in reaching proper dissertations. ProQuest already includes nearly all results other databases reached. Originality/Value To see a genealogy of the keyword itself from meaning to phenomenology provides to position this philosophical field in architectural research. In addition to identify popular research subjects according to the spirit of the decades in science, this study is a critical epistemology discussion within the field of architectural research. Such an epistemology discussion also provides to see the continuity and the changes of both the terms and the study fields over the years.