In both human science and nursing research the concept of context is important. However, context can be understood in different ways. The aim of this article is to elucidate, discuss and problematize context, decontextualization and recontextualization in some health care-related phenomenographical studies. A further aim is to problematize the concet of context in a wider perspective of human complex ohenomena which characterize nursing research demand a broad contextual understanding. Both the local or immediate experiences of the phenomen of interest as well as the socio-cultural discourse. A balance between openness and pliability t the phenomenon is suggested. Reflection is considered an important tool in this process. Within phenomenography, the interest i s directed towards conceptions of certain aspects of the worlds. Thus, context in a wider sense is given a subordinate role. Accordingly, phenomenography is considered to have limited applicability in nursing research when complex phenomena are to be studied.