Grounded theory in the 21st Century: applications for advancing social justice studies (paper)

Notes from the Handbook of Qualitative Research

Constructivist Grounded Theory

A constructivist approach emphasizes the studied phenomenon rather than the
methods of studying it. Constructivist gorunded theorists take a reflexive
stance on modes of knowing and representing studied life. That means giving close attention to empirical realities and our collected renderings of them - and locating oneself in these realities. It does not assume that impartial observers enter the research scene without an interpretive frames, biographies, and interests as well as the research context, their relationships with research participants, concrete field experiences, and modes of generating and recording empirical materials. No qualitative method rests on pure induction - the questions we ask of the empirical world frame what we know of it. In short, we share in constructing what we deifne as data. Similarly, our conceptual categories arise through our interpretations of data rather than emanating from them or from our methodological practices. (pp. 509-10)

Grounded theory - has a past

Grounded studies emerge from wrestling with data, making comparisons, developing categories, engaging in theoretical sampling, and integrating an analysis. But how weconduct all these activities does not occur in a social vacuum. Rather, the entire research process is interactive; in this sense, we bring past interactions and current interests into our research, and we interact with our empirical materials and emerging ideas as well as, perhaps, granting agencies, institutional review boards, and community agencies and grous, along with research participants and colleagues. Neither data nor ideas are mere objects that we passively observe and compile. (p. 510)

Rather than abandoning the traditional positivist quest for empirical detail, I argue that we advance it - without the cloak of neutrality and passivity enshrouding mid-century positivism. Gathering rich empirical materials is the first step. Recording these data systematically prompts us to pursue leads that we might otherwise ignore or not realize. Through making systematic recordings, we also gain comparitative materials to pinpoint contextual conditions and to explore links between levels of analysis. By seeking empirical answers to emerging theoretical questions, we learn about the worlds we enter and can increase the cogency of our subsequent analyses. Hence, data need to be informed by our theroetical sesitivity. Data alone are insuffiicent; they must be telling and must answer theoretical questions. (p. 511)

Charmaz, K. (2005) Grounded theory in the 21st century: Applications for advancing social justice issues. In Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (Ed) The SAGE handbook of qualitative research 3rd Edition, Sage Publications, California, USA.