Grounded Theory

1
Grounded Theory
2
Whats a theory?
3
Theory . . .

• denotes a set of well-developed categories
  (e.g., themes, concepts) that are systematically
  interrelated through statements of relationship
  to form a theoretical framework that explains
  some relevant social, psychological, educational,
  nursing, or other phenomenon. The statements of
  relationship explain who, what, when, where, why,
  how, and with what consequences an event occurs
  (Strauss Corbin, 1998, p. 22).
• is more than a set of findings it offers an
  explanation about phenomena (p. 22).

4
Theories . . .

• Can be substantive one developed from the
  study of one small area of investigation and from
  one specific population (Strauss Corbin, 1998,
  p. 267) or formal less specific to a group or
  place, and as such, apply to a wider range of
  disciplinary concerns and problems (p. 23).
• Have various properties, and when analyzed, they
  also can be located along certain dimensions and
  ordered conceptually (p. 23).

5
Grounded theory

• Is a methodology a way of thinking (Strauss
  Corbin, 1998).
• Difference between theory building and doing
  description abstracting, reducing, relating as
  events, acts, and outcomes are conceptualized and
  classified.
• The data are what is relevant, not the particular
  case or individual.
• Conceptual ordering the organization of data
  into discrete categories according to their
  properties and dimensions and then using
  description to elucidate those categories (p.
  19) is prior to theorizing.

6
Some definitions

• Phenomena Central idea in the data represented
  by concepts.
• Concepts A labeled phenomenon. The building
  blocks of theory.
• Categories Are concepts. They are derived from
  the data and stand for the phenomena.
• Properties Characteristics of a category, the
  delineation of which defines and gives it
  meaning.
• Dimensions The range along which general
  properties of a category vary, giving
  specification to a category and variation to the
  theory.
• Subcategories Concepts that pertain to a
  category, giving it further clarification and
  specification.

7
(No Transcript)
8
Process/Tasks

• Writing memos capturing analysis and thinking
  process.
• Open coding conceptualizing. From the data,
  identify concepts, their properties and
  dimensions.
• Axial coding begin to reassemble the data that
  were fractured during open coding.
• Relate categories to subcategories along the
  lines of their properties and dimensions.

9
Process/Tasks

• Coding for process
• Look for action/interaction and trace it over
  time to note if it changes or what enables it to
  remain the same with changes in structural
  conditions.
• Structure the conditional context in which a
  category is situated.
• Selective coding - Integrating and refining the
  categories.
• Choose a central category
• Basically, tell the story (using the categories)
  around this central category.

10
Phenomenon