What Is It Like to Experience the Other in an Online Interview? Using Phenomenology to Explore the Online Encounter of the Other

Abstract

Using a phenomenology of practice, we explore what it is like to experience the other in an online interview using van Manen’s notion of “insight cultivators” as sources for thematic insights in relation to an interview we conducted in a recent project. Specifically, we draw on Don Ihde’s concept of embodiment relations incorporating technology, Emmanuel Levinas’ notion of “the face,” and Jean-Luc Marion’s idea of “the look.” We conclude that online interviews can enhance human encounters and advocate for using these even when in-person events are possible because of the opportunities that are presented by such communication platforms.