The Systematic Procedure of the Phenomenological Approach of Qualitative Research to Reconstruct the Generic Settlement Pattern of a Specific Context

Phenomenological research is an inductive, descriptive research methodology derived from phenomenological philosophy which aim is to describe an experience that is presumed to have been had by the subject in a particular setting. This approach of research can be used to find out the generic settlement pattern of a specific context. The specific research essentially attempted to connect methodically, the various threads and fill up the gaps to identify the order that prevails in the settlement pattern of the Bengal Delta, thereby testing the hypothesis, that “Bengal Delta has a generic settlement pattern†. From the three stratified zones, 22 case study settlements were selected at random for the field survey, KII and FGD. On analysing all the data, historical interpretation of the settlement patterns and logically identifying the phenomenon behind the development, a ‘generic settlement pattern’ is revealed. The research has been conducted through a triangulation of literature review, phenomenological approach and qualitative data analysis. The analogical context is identified through the historical phenomenological interpretation of available literature. This article has described the systematic procedure of the phenomenological approach of research for the study on the generic settlement pattern of the Bengal Delta.