What is Grounded Theory? What is Grounded Theory?

Kathy CharmazKathy Charmaz

Imagine collecting intriguing Imagine collecting intriguing qualitative qualitative data early in your data early in your research research

I: So, how has life been for you?S: Well, as you can tell, it's been very busy.

Between babies and marriage and life, uhm, it's kind of hard to explain, but it's been a lot different than being on my own because people rely on me now. So part of it has been good because I can see that I'm not the only one that has good days and bad days, everybody does. They might not be physical, as much as psychological, but everybody has kind of good days and bad days, as moods and things too.

Qualitative data Qualitative data (cont.)(cont.)

Uhm, I guess the main thing, I had a fight with my husband before coming here, and what I'm kind of seeing from that is the main thing that I still have a little bit of guilt attached to or hard time, or is hard for me, is I don't know how much responsibility is mine, like what I should take on all the time.

What if you planned to conduct a What if you planned to conduct a qualitative qualitative research project, research project,

wwouldn’t it help

• To ensure that your data are rich and useful?

• To be able to gather inductive data without getting lost in it?

• To have systematic strategies for collecting your data that aid you in creating an original analysis?

Grounded theory can help youGrounded theory can help you

• Gather rich data through guiding your data collection

• Get started in early data analysis

• Use flexible guidelines for managing your research

• Keep focusing your analysis to make it more original and useful

WhatWhat is grounded theory?is grounded theory?

A systematic method of conducting research that:

• Begins with an inductive approach

• Involves engaging in simultaneous data collection and analysis

• Consists of several flexible guidelines

• Emphasizes constructing the analysis

• Aims to construct middle-range theories

WhatWhat is grounded theory? is grounded theory? (cont.)(cont.)

• A method that goes beyond induction A method that goes beyond induction

- Its strategies lead to making - Its strategies lead to making conjectures and conjectures and

hypotheses and to hypotheses and to checking checking them them

-Therefore, the researcher -Therefore, the researcher engages in engages in deductive deductive reasoning as inquiry reasoning as inquiry proceeds.proceeds.

What does grounded theory help What does grounded theory help you you to accomplish?to accomplish?

This method:

• Enables you to study processes

• Helps you explicate what is happening in your field setting

• Keeps you focused on your data and emerging analysis

• Supports you in developing an original theoretical analysis

How do grounded theorists How do grounded theorists conduct conduct research?research? We engage We engage in:in:

• Making systematic comparisons throughout inquiry

• Interacting with our data, codes, and categories

• Doing analytic writing from the start—memo-writing

• Making early links between the empirical world and theoretical ideas—and checking them—theoretical sampling

Wouldn’t it be helpful toWouldn’t it be helpful to have a have a few few

questions to guide your questions to guide your research?research?

Grounded theory gives you general questions—and points the way for you to develop further questions specific to your research problem and emerging analysis

Grounded theory helps you to keep your research

• Manageable• Efficient• Exciting!

Which questions do grounded Which questions do grounded theorists theorists use when coding data?use when coding data?

• What is happening? (Glaser, 1978)What is happening? (Glaser, 1978)• ““What is this data a study of?” (Glaser, What is this data a study of?” (Glaser,

1978, 1978, p. 57; Glaser and Strauss, 1967)p. 57; Glaser and Strauss, 1967)• What theoretical category does this What theoretical category does this

datum datum indicate? (Glaser, 1978) indicate? (Glaser, 1978) • What does the data suggest? Pronounce? What does the data suggest? Pronounce? • From whose point of view?From whose point of view?

Wouldn’t it be helpful to have Wouldn’t it be helpful to have guidelines for guidelines for coding qualitative coding qualitative data?data?

• Use line-by-line coding as an initial tool for opening up the data

• Ask what is happening in each bit of data

• Compare data with data1. Statement with statement2. Story with story3. Incident with incident

• Then compare code with code

Coding for what is happening Coding for what is happening

So part of it has been good because I can see that I'm not the only one that has good days and bad days, everybody does.

They might not be physical, as much as psychological, but everybody has kind of good days and bad days, as moods and things too.

Identifying a Identifying a positivepositive

Recognizing other Recognizing other people’s good people’s good and bad daysand bad days

Qualifying their Qualifying their good and bad good and bad daysdays

Viewing good and Viewing good and bad days as bad days as universaluniversal

Comparing Statements: Sara ShawComparing Statements: Sara Shaw—— Taking a broader view beyond Taking a broader view beyond selfselfSo part of it has been good because I can see that I'm not the only one that has good days and bad days, everybody does.

They might not be physical, as much as psychological, but everybody has kind of good days and bad days, as moods and things too

Seeing beyond selfSeeing beyond self

Discerning the content Discerning the content of good and bad of good and bad daysdays

Comparing statements: Nancy Swensen Comparing statements: Nancy Swensen dealing with her illness on a bad day and her dealing with her illness on a bad day and her mother with Alzheimer’s—Beingmother with Alzheimer’s—Being caught caught in chaos And if I’m trying to get dinner ready and I’m already feeling bad, she’s in front of the refrigerator. Then she goes to put her hand on the stove and I got the fire on. And then she’s in front of the microwave and then she’s in front of the silverware drawer. And-and if I send her out she gets mad at me. That’s when I have really a really bad time.

Making a bad day Making a bad day worse worse

Escalating chaosEscalating chaos

See also,See also,

Arthur Frank Arthur Frank (1995): “The (1995): “The Chaos Nar-rativeChaos Nar-rative

Comparing responses to bad days: Comparing responses to bad days:

Marty—Marty— DealingDealing with bad dayswith bad days

We’re [a friend who has We’re [a friend who has multiple sclerosis] kind of multiple sclerosis] kind of like mutual supporters for like mutual supporters for each other. And when each other. And when she has her bad days or she has her bad days or when we particularly feel when we particularly feel “poor me,” you know, “poor me,” you know, “Get off your butt!” You “Get off your butt!” You know, we can be really know, we can be really pushy to each other and pushy to each other and understandunderstand it. it.

Reciprocal Reciprocal supportingsupporting

Having bad daysHaving bad days

Disallowing self-Disallowing self-pitypity

Issuing reciprocal Issuing reciprocal ordersorders

Taking the Taking the criticism criticism

Realizing that once bad days have Realizing that once bad days have become good days—John become good days—John

What used to be bad days [laughing] now are good days …but the quality of things, I think, is declining, you know, from , say a couple of years ago when I didn’t think about it that much. And there would be isolated days when I had a lot of congestion and things like that. But that’s all.

Shifting criteria of Shifting criteria of good and bad good and bad daysdays

Defining declining health

Comparing past and present

What is constructivist grounded What is constructivist grounded theory?theory?

It is a contemporary revision of Glaser and It is a contemporary revision of Glaser and Strauss’s (1967; Glaser 1978) classic Strauss’s (1967; Glaser 1978) classic grounded theory that: grounded theory that:

• Assumes a relativist approachAssumes a relativist approach

• Acknowledges multiple standpoints and Acknowledges multiple standpoints and realities of both the grounded theorist realities of both the grounded theorist and and the research participants the research participants

• Takes a reflexive stance toward our Takes a reflexive stance toward our actions, actions, situations, and participants in situations, and participants in the field the field setting, and constructions of setting, and constructions of them in our them in our analyses.analyses.

How does constructivist grounded theory How does constructivist grounded theory advance data collection?advance data collection?

It fosters building explicit “what” and It fosters building explicit “what” and “how” questions into the data “how” questions into the data collectioncollection

She saidShe said…,But, fortunately, I had the …,But, fortunately, I had the experience of at some point surrendering, experience of at some point surrendering, you know.you know.

I askedI asked, What does that mean to you, , What does that mean to you, surrendering?surrendering?

She saidShe said, It means that I don't have, I can't , It means that I don't have, I can't control it and to look at what it has to teach control it and to look at what it has to teach me. Just, you know, let it tell me what it me. Just, you know, let it tell me what it needs to tell me. You know, that needs to tell me. You know, that willingness and that acceptance.willingness and that acceptance.

Data collection in constructivist Data collection in constructivist groundedtheory groundedtheory

And you don't always get, you know, I And you don't always get, you know, I don't always get that right away don't always get that right away because here I could have had a lot because here I could have had a lot of "control" over my life, and then I of "control" over my life, and then I didn't have control anymore, and so didn't have control anymore, and so it didn't come instantly, but I was it didn't come instantly, but I was willing to surrender and to look at willing to surrender and to look at what was going on. But it did come, what was going on. But it did come, it did happen. And I'm always much it did happen. And I'm always much more at peace after I'm able to do more at peace after I'm able to do that anyway.that anyway.

Where Does Constructivist GT Take Where Does Constructivist GT Take Us? Us? This approach leads us to This approach leads us to

• Assume that what we take as “real” Assume that what we take as “real” is is problematic—and that our problematic—and that our analyses analyses are interpretiveare interpretive

• Look for multiple definitions of realityLook for multiple definitions of reality

• Pay close attention to language—and Pay close attention to language—and actionaction

• Examine how experience is Examine how experience is constituted constituted and structures are and structures are enactedenacted

In sum, whatIn sum, what is grounded theory? is grounded theory?

• An inductive, comparative, and An inductive, comparative, and interactive interactive approach approach toto inquiry that inquiry that offers several open-offers several open-ended ended strategies strategies forfor conducting emergent conducting emergent

inquiry.inquiry.

Wouldn’t be helpful to? Wouldn’t be helpful to?

• Advance studies in your discipline?Advance studies in your discipline?

• Have a point for discussing Have a point for discussing contemporary issues in qualitativecontemporary issues in qualitative

inquiry (Henwood and Pidgeon inquiry (Henwood and Pidgeon 2003)?2003)?

• Adopt a flexible method with emergent Adopt a flexible method with emergent methodological strategies rather methodological strategies rather than than prescribed rules? prescribed rules?

Try grounded theory!Try grounded theory!