Lost and Forgotten while Remaining in Place: The Lived Experience of Other-Imposed Social ...

378 Pages·2013·2.03 MB·English

Lost and Forgotten while Remaining in Place:
The Lived Experience of Other-Imposed Social Isolation in the Work-place

Carrie Leanne Wells

Dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
In
Human Development

Marcie Boucouvalas, Chair
Francine H. Hultgren, Co-Chair
Linda E. Morris
Clare D. Klunk

February 28, 2013
Falls Church, VA

Keywords: Being, employee isolation, phenomenology, social isolation,
workplace abuse, workplace aggression

Copyright © 2013 Carrie Leanne Wells
Lost and Forgotten While Remaining in Place:
The Lived Experience of Other-Imposed Social Isolation in the Work-Place

Carrie Leanne Wells

ABSTRACT
This dissertation explores the lived experiences of workers who are involuntarily
socially isolated in their work-places through the actions of one or more colleagues. This
hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry is called by the question, “What is the lived
experience of other-imposed social isolation in the work-place?” This study also explores
the ways these targeted workers are lost and forgotten, by themselves and others, for the
periods of time they remain in their socially isolating work-places.
The tradition of hermeneutic phenomenology grounds this inquiry, guided
primarily by the works of Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Martin Buber, and to
lesser and varying degrees by David Abram, Hans-George Gadamer, Edmond Husserl,
David Michael Levin, Emmanual Levinas, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty. Max van
Manen’s six methodological guidelines serve as the framework for the research activities
that comprise this study.
From conversations with, and written reflections from, eight work-place
professionals, this study reveals what it is like to experience other-imposed, work-place
social isolation. Through hermeneutic phenomenological exploration, the stories of these
eight workers reveal lived experience along three primary themes. First, other-imposed
social isolation is abusive power and control that is comprised of shameful, indecent acts.
Second, the targets of involuntary social isolation experience relentless, wounding
trauma. Third, while remaining in their socially isolating work-places, and sometimes for
years after leaving, targeted workers bear the burdened weight of crushing grief.
The study suggests a need to expose antiquated, yet accepted, work-place mores,
that serve as unconscious barriers to work-place respect and dignity. Further, the study
reveals that conscious, and conscientious, awareness and attention to abusive work-place
social isolation are the responsibility of each and every work-place citizen. Finally, the
study recommends meaningful citizen choices – such as refusing silence; standing alone,
if necessary; and inviting work-place community attention – to engage with others where
workers’ truths and dignity are at stake.
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DEDICATION
I dedicate this dissertation study to the all-too-many targets of work-place abuse – past,
present, and future. May each of you know your other-imposed social isolation does not
render you alone, and may you connect, in caring, with those who choose to answer the
calls of conscience.
I also dedicate this work to my eight co-researchers – Angela, Dave, Julie, Larry,
Michael, Sandy, Thais, and Wendy, who, with full trust, raise caring voices to reveal the
unspeakable.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In life, and on this academic journey, I am blessed to be part of a caring village.
With heart- and soul-felt gratitude, I thank Alison and our sons, Grayson and Carter, who
never failed to cheer me forward, despite the sacrificed family time, while I huddled in
my cave of self to write my way into this phenomenon.
I thank my parents, Brenda and Gary Wells, who continue to teach me the value and
importance of life-long learning and, in ways they likely do not know, teach and nurture
my song.
I thank the members of my work village, who have also become dear friends, and who
never hesitate to stop what they are doing to urge me on to my purpose –
Barry, Bernadine, Brad, Chad, Chris, Debbie, Ryan, Steve, Suzanne, and Vicki.
I thank four members of my work village, who invited my call to conscience by sharing
their own stories of other-imposed, work-place social isolation – Chris, Romero, Zach,
and Zoe.
I thank the academic colleagues whose earlier journeys inspired my resilience and
perseverance – Annette, Barbara, and Tina.
With deepest gratitude, I thank the members of my dissertation committee, each of whom
believes that answering the call to conscience is my life purpose:
Professor Marcie Boucouvalas, my advisor and Chair, who first revealed to me
the phenomenological method, and who never wavered in her faith that this story
must be told and that I was the person to tell it. I thank her for modeling
unconditionally what it means to be an adult learner and for inspiring a love of
learning in each person she touches.

Professor Francine Hultgren, my research advisor and Co-Chair, who
welcomed me into the Hermeneutic Circle, and who uncluttered the pathways of
this academic journey. I thank her for sharing her own phenomenological spirit
and teaching me to explore unafraid the depths of my Being.

Dr. Linda Morris, who enthusiastically joined my committee as I embarked on
the phenomenological pathway. I thank her for endless flexibility in supporting
me through each twist and turn.

Dr. Clare Klunk, who selflessly joined my committee in the home stretch of this
journey. I thank her for grace and poise and for recognizing and supporting a
kindred spirit.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... II
DEDICATION................................................................................................................. IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ V
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ XI
PREFACE ...................................................................................................................... XII
CHAPTER ONE: FORGETTING MY SONG: TURNING TO THE
PHENOMENON OF OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION IN THE WORK-
PLACE ............................................................................................................................... 1
FOREGROUNDING THE PHENOMENON: THE STORY OF MY SURRENDER ................... 4
Framing Social Isolation as Emotional Abuse ............................................ 6
Anchoring Social Isolation to Being-in-Place ............................................ 8
IMPLACED YET DIS-PLACED .................................................................................... 9
Dis-placed Being ....................................................................................... 10
Arrhythmic Dis-place-ment ...................................................................... 12
IMPLACED WITHOUT BELONGING .......................................................................... 15
Home-less Place ........................................................................................ 16
Faith-less Place ......................................................................................... 18
Faith-less Dwelling ................................................................................... 19
THE LANDSCAPE BEYOND PLACE .......................................................................... 23
Distorted Landscapes ................................................................................ 23
Desolate Landscapes ................................................................................. 26
Dis-placed Nowhere-ness ......................................................................... 28
PREPARING TO LEAVE PLACE ................................................................................ 30
Lingering at the Threshold ........................................................................ 30
Threshold as Wilderness or Frontier? ....................................................... 32
Threshold as Mourning and Healing......................................................... 34
NAMING THE PHENOMENON ................................................................................... 37
The Importance and Difficulty of Naming ............................................... 39
The Naming of Work-Place Aggression and Abuse ................................. 42
The Naming of Work-place Isolation ....................................................... 44
The Naming of Work-place Social Isolation ............................................ 46
The Tension between Naming and Storytelling ........................................ 47
SITTING WITHIN THE GAP OF THE PHENOMENON ................................................... 48
Learning to Dwell Poetically .................................................................... 50
Inviting Voice through Phenomenological Structure ............................... 51
CHAPTER TWO: FRACTURED BEING: AN EXISTENTIAL INVESTIGATION
OF OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION.......................................................... 54
“THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS” OF OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION .......... 57
“I Am Not Myself” ................................................................................... 58
Secret and Shadow Selves ........................................................................ 60
Inauthentic and Authentic Selves .............................................................. 62
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A Yearning to Be Real .............................................................................. 64
THE BETRAYAL OF OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION ....................................... 66
Broken Covenants ..................................................................................... 68
Disempowered Spirit ................................................................................ 71
Arrested Being .......................................................................................... 72
Present Absence and Absent Presence ...................................................... 74
THE EMBODIMENT OF OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION .................................. 79
Somatic Suffering and Attunement ........................................................... 80
Embodied Place ........................................................................................ 81
Timeless Siege .......................................................................................... 82
Sitting with Stillness ................................................................................. 85
THE LANGUAGE OF OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION ...................................... 87
Disoriented Suffering ................................................................................ 88
Power Plays ............................................................................................... 89
Devastating Similes and Metaphors.......................................................... 91
CHAPTER THREE: GOING TO THE WINDOW AND SEEING OTHER-
IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION IN THE WORK-PLACE: PHILOSOPHICAL
AND METHODOLOGICAL GROUNDING .............................................................. 96
PHENOMENOLOGICAL ENGAGEMENT ..................................................................... 97
Exposure to Risk ....................................................................................... 97
Engaging the Life-world ........................................................................... 99
Engaging through Language ................................................................... 101
Making things present. ................................................................ 101
Creating a conversational relation. ............................................. 103
Engaging through Sensitivity .................................................................. 106
Experiencing sensitivity. ............................................................. 106
Developing sensitivity. ............................................................... 107
Engaging through Knowing .................................................................... 109
Perception-as-knowing. .............................................................. 111
Naming-as-knowing. ................................................................... 112
Experience-as-knowing............................................................... 114
Experiencing-as-knowing. .......................................................... 116
SEEING OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION IN THE WORK-PLACE ..................... 119
Going to the Window with Martin Heidegger ........................................ 122
The everydayness of Being-in-the-world. ................................... 122
Falling, anxiety, and fear. ........................................................... 125
Authenticity and the call of conscience. ..................................... 128
Caring about others and about self.............................................. 131
Going to the Window with Jean-Paul Sartre........................................... 133
Being-in-itself and being-for-itself. ............................................ 134
Relation with the Other. .............................................................. 136
Attitudes toward the Other. ......................................................... 139
An occasion for anguish, bad faith, and sincerity. ...................... 144
Going to the Window with Martin Buber ............................................... 149
Seeing the two-fold nature of things. .......................................... 150
Experience and relation............................................................... 152
vii
Knowing and telling. ................................................................... 157
Remaining at the Window ...................................................................... 160
Seeing a journey that points the way. ......................................... 160
Seeing a lived experience that collapses everydayness. ............. 161
Seeing a lived experience that triggers anxiety and anguish. ..... 162
Seeing a lived experience that returns authenticity. .................... 164
HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGY ....................................................................... 165
The Art of Hermeneutic Understanding ................................................. 165
The Art of Hermeneutic Interpretation ................................................... 166
The Art of Hermeneutic Questioning ..................................................... 168
The Phenomenological Research Difference .......................................... 170
PHENOMENOLOGICAL METHODOLOGY ................................................................ 171
Turning to a Phenomenon ....................................................................... 172
Investigating Experience as We Live It .................................................. 173
Reflecting on Essential Themes .............................................................. 174
The Art of Writing and Rewriting .......................................................... 176
Maintaining a Strong and Oriented Relation .......................................... 178
Balancing the Research Context by Considering Parts and Wholes....... 178
MY PROCESS OF PHENOMENOLOGICAL ENGAGEMENT......................................... 181
Inviting Conversational Relation ............................................................ 181
Structuring the Conversational Relation ................................................. 183
Analyzing the Conversational Relation .................................................. 188
CHAPTER FOUR: GIVING VOICE TO THE TARGETS OF OTHER-IMPOSED
SOCIAL ISOLATION IN THE WORK-PLACE ...................................................... 190
THE VOCAL TAPESTRY OF LIVED EXPERIENCE .................................................... 192
Michael ................................................................................................... 193
Angela ..................................................................................................... 194
Wendy ..................................................................................................... 196
Sandy....................................................................................................... 197
Larry ........................................................................................................ 198
Dave ........................................................................................................ 200
Thais ........................................................................................................ 201
Julie ......................................................................................................... 203
A Hermeneutic Pause .............................................................................. 204
LIVING THE ABUSE OF OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION IN THE WORK-PLACE
............................................................................................................................. 206
Naming Abuse Once More ..................................................................... 207
From naming to storytelling........................................................ 208
Seeing through the lens of rooted meaning................................. 212
More than Tough Management ............................................................... 213
Stunning, untouchable power...................................................... 215
Ordained by whose authority? .................................................... 218
Undeniable targets ...................................................................... 224
Shameful, Indecent Acts ......................................................................... 227
Out of favor ................................................................................. 228
Out of sight ................................................................................. 230
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Out of mind ................................................................................. 232
Mis-Used and Used Up ........................................................................... 235
CHAPTER FIVE: RECOGNIZING THOSE WOUNDED BY OTHER-IMPOSED
SOCIAL ISOLATION IN THE WORK-PLACE ...................................................... 239
LIVING THE TRAUMA OF OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION IN THE WORK-PLACE
............................................................................................................................. 240
Hunkered Down, Nerve-Numb ............................................................... 241
Cloaked in anger ......................................................................... 242
Tattered remnants of ontological security................................... 245
The nakedness of hope-lessness .................................................. 247
Rubbing Together White Sticks of Your Own Ribs ............................... 249
Tinder is Heart ........................................................................................ 253
Tearing life’s fabric..................................................................... 254
Breaching life’s passion .............................................................. 256
Opening life-long wounds........................................................... 258
Leaving to find authenticity ........................................................ 260
LIVING THE GRIEF OF OTHER-IMPOSED SOCIAL ISOLATION IN THE WORK-PLACE
............................................................................................................................. 262
Care-lessly Wronged ............................................................................... 264
The silent prophet of dis-respect ................................................. 266
Wasting time, being wasted by time ........................................... 268
The drought of in-attention ......................................................... 270
Heavily Burdened ................................................................................... 271
Carrying their reputations ........................................................... 272
Carrying their livelihoods ........................................................... 275
Carrying codes of conduct .......................................................... 277
Carrying codes of silence ............................................................ 279
Carrying nothing-ness ................................................................. 284
Forcefully, Relentlessly Crushed ............................................................ 287
Fragmented souls ........................................................................ 288
Grieved loss ................................................................................ 290
Recognizing Woundedness (Reprise) ..................................................... 294
CHAPTER SIX: SEEING AND HEARING THE TRUTH OF LIVED
EXPERIENCE TO ANSWER THE CALL TO CONSCIENCE ............................. 295
RESTORING DIGNITY ............................................................................................ 297
The Dignity of Attention ......................................................................... 300
Uncluttering Cognitive Attics ................................................................. 301
Antiquated remnants of thinking and knowing ........................... 302
Dis-inheriting the obsolete and out-of-style ............................... 305
Hearing the Sound of the Bells ............................................................... 307
From foundation and framing to rough-in .................................. 308
Imagining finished interiors ........................................................ 309
Listening to the Silence between Strokes ............................................... 311
Ghosts of work-places past ......................................................... 312
Being in work-places future ........................................................ 314
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Reverence for work-places present ............................................. 318
RESTORING IMPLACEMENT .................................................................................. 320
Re-placing Self........................................................................................ 322
Em-powering Community ...................................................................... 324
Remembering Our Songs ........................................................................ 326
APPENDIX A: SAMPLE LETTER OF INVITATION............................................ 331
APPENDIX B: INVITATION DISTRIBUTION ....................................................... 332
APPENDIX C: SAMPLE RESPONSE LETTER ...................................................... 333
APPENDIX D: INFORMED CONSENT AGREEMENT ........................................ 334
APPENDIX E: SAMPLE QUESTIONS AND PROMPTS FOR CO-RESEARCHER
CONVERSATIONS ...................................................................................................... 336
APPENDIX F: PERMISSIONS................................................................................... 337
REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 339
ENDNOTES................................................................................................................... 363

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