The Narrative Methodological Contribution of the Lived Body toward the Deliberative Processes in Bioethics

A Study Composed of Physicians as Observers of Bullying

Abstract

Introduction: Bioethics has gained relevance from the principlist approach, which is based on principle-based decision making within the physician-patient relationship. However, bioethics could be regarded from methodological approaches that include the human being’s phenomenological/existential characteristics. The objective is to establish a methodology linking narrative, lived body and bioethics for understanding lived experiences from the physician’s view as an observer of bullying. Methodology: Two research designs are presented: documentary and biographical-narrative. Documentary research considers the narrative and the lived body from phenomenology as conceptual sources which determine the three methodological proposal stages as structuring the deliberative processes in bioethics, intervention and training processes. Biographical-narrative research, based on the narrative, provides both an instrument for data collection and a scheme for narrative analysis. The convenience sample comprised five licensed practicing physicians with experience in bullying at a school level Results: The methodology allowed for four narratives for each narrator/physician. The narrative analysis shows an understanding of what was experienced, and at the same time, the narrator/Physicians’ training process. Discussion: The lived body narrative establishes the deliberative processes in bioethics as understanding and training processes of physicians as observers of bullying. Conclusion: the narrative of the lived body provides bioethics a way of thinking about the dwelling place of mankind as a way to inhabit the world of life with respect to the other and bioethics arises as a constitutive      perspective of being in the world.