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CHAPTER 24 Rosemarie Rizzo Parse 471

builds new knowledge about humanbecoming
Use of Empirical Evidence (Doucet & Bournes, 2007; Parse, 2012b). Knowledge
Research guided by the humanbecoming theory is of humanbecoming contributes to the substantive
meant to enhance understanding of the theoretical knowledge of the nursing discipline. Disciplinary
foundation, or the knowledge contained in the knowledge is different from the practical or technical
assumptions, postulates, principles, and concepts of knowledge that nurses use in health care settings.
humanbecoming (Doucet & Bournes, 2007; Parse, Disciplinary knowledge is theoretical that identifies
1998, 2007b, 2012b). Research is not used to test the phenomenon of concern for nurses—for Parse
Parse’s theory. Nurses assume people have unique (1998, 2007b, 2012b) is humanbecoming. According
meanings of life situations; persons have freedom; to Parse (1998), “scholarly research is formal inquiry
humans are indivisible, unpredictable, ever changing leading to the discovery of new knowledge with the
beings; and persons relate with others and the uni- enhancement of theory” (p. 59). The idea of new
verse in paradoxical patterns. To test these beliefs knowledge with enhancement of theory requires
would be comparable to testing the assumption that attention to clarify distinctions among different ways
humans are spiritual beings or that people are com- of thinking.
posed of complex systems. These statements are ab- Research guided by humanbecoming explores uni-
stract beliefs based on experience, observation, and versal living experiences with people as they live them
beliefs about the nature of reality. The foundational or with the becoming visible–invisible becoming of their
ontological statements are value laden, and, as noted day-to-day lives. Parse contends there are universal
earlier, a nurse either has an attraction and commit- human experiences, such as hope, joy, sorrow, grief,
ment to these foundational beliefs or not. The idea fear, and confidence. Research participants’ accounts
of a human being who is indivisible, unpredictable, of their living experiences in humanbecoming-guided
everchanging and free to choose meaning is an as- research are descriptions of their “remembering-
sumption that is either believable or not. Assumptions prospecting of the phenomenon [being studied] as it
about human beings are theoretical, not factual. A is appearing with the emerging now. It is living the
student or a nurse relates to one notion of human experience being described” (Parse, 2012b, p. 49) in
being or another. According to Parse (1991, 1999b, light of what is becoming visible to them about the
2008c, 2008d, 2009b) this is why there is a need for experience in the moment. This means that research
multiple views; the discipline of nursing can and does guided by humanbecoming explores universal experi-
accommodate different views and different theories ences as people live them. People live in the moment,
about the phenomenon of concern to nursing— and what is remembered and what is hoped for are
human-universe-health. In agreement with Hall, Parse always viewed within the context of what is becoming
(1993) stated the following when discussing the issue visible in the emerging now. Universal experiences
of testing the humanbecoming theory: are not reduced to linear time frames because living
experiences are cocreated with “indivisible, un-
The human becoming theory does not lend itself bounded knowing” (Parse, 2007b, p. 308). A nurse
to testing, since it is not a predictive theory and is researcher conducting a Parse method study invites
not based on a cause-effect view of the human- persons to speak about a particular universal experi-
universe process. The purpose of the research is not ence. For instance, a participant might talk about his
to verify the theory or test it but, rather, the focus is or her experience of grieving (Cody, 1995a, 2000;
on uncovering the essences of lived phenomena to Pilkington, 1993). The researcher guided by human-
gain further understanding of universal human becoming knows that the person’s reality encom-
experiences. This understanding evolves from con- passes what is remembered and what is imagined or
necting the descriptions given by people to the the- hoped for as it is appearing in the moment (Parse,
ory, thus making more explicit the essences of being 2007b). The researcher assumes that the person
human. (p. 12)
knows his or her experience and can offer an account
Therefore, research with Parse’s theory expands of the experience as he or she lives and knows it. What
understanding about human living experiences and is shared about the experience under study is what