Hermeneutics and Human Interplay: A Clinical Caring Science Research Method

Abstract

The aim of this article was to explore, exemplify, and discuss how a participatory hermeneutic method designed for children with special needs can be developed in a caring context. Examples from a clinical study are presented to illustrate how play, as both a methodological concept in hermeneutics and the substance of caring, was applied in research by means of the perioperative dialogue. In participatory research, an ethical approach based on subtle human interplay can be triggered by means of dialogue with parents. Thus, truth can emerge via continuity of care, while the substance of caring can be directed toward the child. Such a clinical method is worth adding to the child research repertoire.