Sensitization to the Other – The Phenomenological Vignette as a Resonating Body of Sound

Abstract

This article examines the aesthetic potential of the phenomenological vignette, a qualitative research tool grounded in phenomenology and used in professional development. Vignettes are concise, evocative narratives that capture co-experiential moments. As bodies of sound, they preserve fleeting instances through language and emphasize the pregnant and pathic dimensions of experience. Unlike traditional research methods that often overlook sensation, vignettes draw on it, capturing the co-experienced atmosphere they seek to convey. They focus on the pre-reflective, bodily articulations of participants. By describing tone of voice, posture, glances and movements, they give expression to experience beyond words. Writing vignettes requires sensitivity, receptivity and aesthetic refinement to make them resonate with readers. Like art, vignettes can challenge habitual ways of seeing and acting, open new perceptions and make experiences tangible. Positioned between sensuality and conceptuality, they embrace ambiguity, fostering awareness and a receptive attitude toward oneself, others and the world, thereby contributing to aesthetic education.