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Grounded Theory

Grounded Theory. Class # 2 Janet M. Turan, PhD, MPH HCO 628/728. Roots in Symbolic Interactionism. Symbolic Interactionism: A social psychological approach focused on the meaning of human actions reality is negotiated between people by speech Reality is always changing

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Grounded Theory

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  1. Grounded Theory Class # 2 Janet M. Turan, PhD, MPH HCO 628/728

  2. Roots in Symbolic Interactionism • Symbolic Interactionism: • A social psychological approach focused on the meaning of human actions • reality is negotiated between people by speech • Reality is always changing • Proponents of Symbolic Interactionism • George Herbert Mead • Herbert Blumer

  3. Basics of Symbolic Interactionism • Human beings act towards things on the basis of the meanings things hold for them • Meanings of such things are derived from interactions with other beings • Meanings are handled and modified through interpretation

  4. Methodology to fit those beliefs • Although the empirical world is created through the perceptions and interpretation of humans, there is a reality • The way to interpret the nature of a constructed, interpretive empirical reality is through • Exploration • Inspection

  5. Exploration • Form a close and comprehensive acquaintance with a sphere of social life • Develop and sharpen an inquiry so that the inquiry remains groundedin the empirical life under study • The aim of exploratory study is to fill out as comprehensive a picture as possible of the area of study

  6. Inspection • Analyzing the objects/concepts discovered by exploration so that they make sense • Finding links • Understanding differences • Seeing categories

  7. Example: How do Burmese Farm Girls Become Thai Sex Workers? • Exploration: discovering the worlds of Burmese Farm family life, trajectories of individual girls’ stories, stories of procurers, stories of “pimps” or madams • Inspection: scrutiny and understanding of the above in order to form relationships and categories, how are individuals and individuals different, how are they the same, how do they compare ?

  8. Grounded Theory • Developed by Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss in l960s • The Discovery of Grounded Theory, 1967 • Other proponents • Leonard Schatzman • Juliet Corbin • Kathy Charmaz • Adele Clark • Used in social sciences, but particularly in the applied social sciences

  9. Grounded Theory • Exploration and inspection of the empirical world enables the researcher to construct a theory grounded in the data • Highly reflective method: • Researchers fully aware of selves as instruments for developing grounded theory out of interaction with participants and with the data • In other words the “research act” is no different than other interactions

  10. Questions for Developing GT: • What is going on here? • Learn about a process/interaction/change from the participants • Examples: • How does a career woman with a new baby re-enter the work place? • What are the perceptions of mothers who express breast milk? • What are the organizational processes which lead to success of a flu vaccine campaign? • What is the process of an elderly person accepting death? • How do Botswana female adolescents learn about sexuality?

  11. What is the “Stance” of the researcher? • Theoretical sensitivity • Researcher seeks theory, constantly works with data to tease concepts and linkages • Integration • Synthesis • Constant comparison

  12. Reality • Reality is constantly changing and being negotiated • Emphasis on detailed knowledge, constant comparison and trajectory • What is going on here? How is this example different than the previous? • Characteristics, conditions, causes, antecedents and consequences of events…what happens if? • CONTINGENCY…CHANGE • PROCESS

  13. Data Collection for GT • Data is particular, detailed, in-depth • Constant probing, questioning, comparison, reflecting

  14. Analytical approach • Look at a category—say “child care dilemmas” • Examine different strategies for dealing with child care dilemmas (trajectories of individuals) • Linking similarities and differences • What happens if…..

  15. Fundamental Components of a Grounded Theory Study (Sbaraini et al., 2011) • Openness • Analyzing immediately • Coding and comparing • Memo writing (often also diagrams) • Theoretical sampling • Theoretical saturation • Production of a substantive theory

  16. Theory • Small scale • Focused • Goal • Creation of new theoretical concepts form data • Seeking core concepts • Seeking to understand basic social processes

  17. What do GT Results look like? • Goal is to develop a substantive theory grounded in the data • A set of concepts that are related to one another in a cohesive way • Single story line, core concepts, theory makes sense of the data • Identifies concepts, explores relationships between concepts in stages or phases of the process of the core category or variable • Generally involves diagrams showing relationships between concepts

  18. Examples of Theories Developed through GT Studies: • A model of the process of adapting preventive protocols into dental practice (Sbaraini et al., 2011) • Moving from frustration to questioning traditional gender norms (Laisser et al., 2011) • ‘Expanding your mind’: the process of constructing masculinities in young Nicaraguan men participating in RH training programs (Torres et al., 2012)

  19. Moving from frustration to questioning traditional gender norms (Laisser et al., 2011)

  20. ‘Expanding your mind’: the process of constructing masculinities in young Nicaraguan men participating in RH training programs (Torres et al., 2012)

  21. Adaptations of the GT Approach • Some researchers do not follow all the specific steps laid out by Glaser and Strauss, but adopt several of the key principles, commonly (See for example Ulin, pp. 31-32): • Openness • Emergent design • Systematic coding • Analyzing immediately • Coming up with a theory/framework based on the data

  22. Process of GT • What is happening here? • First interviews very open, discovering similarities and differences • Theoretical sampling • Examples of types/typologies • Coding from first interview • Coding/interviewing simultaneous • Analysis informs and shapes subsequent interviews • Seeking variation, range of variability • Saturation

  23. Steps in a GT Project (see Sbaraini et al., 2011) • An open beginning and research questions • Ethics approval and ethical issues • Initial purposive sampling • Data analysis • Theoretical sampling, ongoing analysis, and interviews • Mapping concepts, theoretical memos, refining of concepts

  24. How are GT and Ethnography Different? • Ethnography • THICK description • Relies most heavily on Participant Observation • Long time in field • GT • Analytical • Relies more on interviews • Shorter time frame—looking at process and trajectory during times of change

  25. Goals of GT Studies in Public Health • Not just descriptive of the problem • Add insight on why and how a given public health problem occurs • Lead to UNDERSTANDING of how and why public health interventions work or do not work

  26. How to Learn Grounded Theory Methodology? Practice, Practice, Practice • Interviewing • Observation • Making Field Notes • Writing Memos • Coding • Writing, Writing, Writing

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