Lived experience

In qualitative phenomenological research, lived experience (German: Erlebnis)^[1] refers to the first-hand involvement or direct experiences and choices of a given person, and the knowledge that they gain from it, as opposed to the knowledge a given person gains from second-hand or mediated source.^[2]^[3] It is a category of qualitative research together with those that focus on society and culture and those that focus on language and communication.^[4] While the term has been increasingly used in qualitative research as a form of evidence and source of knowledge, the concept of "lived experience" as something separate from "experience" is rarely defined.^[5]

^ Hopkins, Burt C. (1993), Hopkins, Burt C. (ed.), "Husserl's Phenomenological Method", Intentionality in Husserl and Heidegger: The Problem of the Original Method and Phenomenon of Phenomenology, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 17–31, doi:10.1007/978-94-015-8145-5_2, ISBN 978-94-015-8145-5, retrieved 2025-05-24
^ Boylorn, Robin M. (2008). "Lived Experience". In Given, Lisa (ed.). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. SAGE Publications. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
^ Chandler, Daniel; Munday, Rod (2011). "Lived experience". A Dictionary of Media and Communication. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199568758.001.0001. ISBN 9780199568758. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
^ Marshall, Catherine; Rossman, Gretchen B. (2011). Designing Qualitative Research, Fifth Edition. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE. p. 92. ISBN 9781412970440.
^ Mcintosh, Ian; Wright, Sharon (2018-08-24). "Exploring what the Notion of 'Lived Experience' Offers for Social Policy Analysis". Journal of Social Policy. 48 (3): 449–467. doi:10.1017/S0047279418000570. hdl:1893/27877. ISSN 0047-2794.

[1] Hopkins, Burt C. (1993), Hopkins, Burt C. (ed.), "Husserl's Phenomenological Method", Intentionality in Husserl and Heidegger: The Problem of the Original Method and Phenomenon of Phenomenology, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 17–31, doi:10.1007/978-94-015-8145-5_2, ISBN 978-94-015-8145-5, retrieved 2025-05-24

[2] Boylorn, Robin M. (2008). "Lived Experience". In Given, Lisa (ed.). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative Research Methods. SAGE Publications. Retrieved 2018-04-02.

[3] Chandler, Daniel; Munday, Rod (2011). "Lived experience". A Dictionary of Media and Communication. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199568758.001.0001. ISBN 9780199568758. Retrieved 2018-04-02.

[4] Marshall, Catherine; Rossman, Gretchen B. (2011). Designing Qualitative Research, Fifth Edition. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE. p. 92. ISBN 9781412970440.

[5] Mcintosh, Ian; Wright, Sharon (2018-08-24). "Exploring what the Notion of 'Lived Experience' Offers for Social Policy Analysis". Journal of Social Policy. 48 (3): 449–467. doi:10.1017/S0047279418000570. hdl:1893/27877. ISSN 0047-2794.

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