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The Birth of Grounded Theory: Why the Collaboration of Two Sociologists Was So Important?
Grounded theory has been a widely used systematic methodology in the social sciences since 1965. This methodology not only changed the face of social science research, but also liberated the possibilities of qualitative research. Behind this, the collaboration between the two sociologists is undoubtedly crucial, especially the in-depth collaboration between Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss.
Grounded theory provides a way to construct hypotheses and theories by collecting and analyzing data. Compared with the traditional hypothetical deductive model, this methodology emphasizes the bottom-up reasoning process from data.
Background of Grounded Theory
The birth of grounded theory can be traced back to Glaser and Strauss's research on dying patients in hospitals. In this study, they developed a constant comparative approach that culminated in grounded theory. Their 1965 book, The Awareness of Death, laid the foundation for the promotion of grounded theory, and their 1967 book, The Discovery of Grounded Theory, further elaborated on the core concepts and practicality of this method.
Glaser and Strauss aimed to bridge the gap between social science theory and empirical data and, through the logic of grounded theory, paved the way for the legitimacy of qualitative research.
Grounded theory has not only found applications in medical sociology and psychology, but its influence has also extended to many fields such as manufacturing and education, demonstrating its interdisciplinary value.
Philosophical foundations of the theory
Grounded theory is deeply influenced by positivism and symbolic interactionism. Glaser's positivist background led him to attach importance to system analysis, while Strauss emphasized the initiative of individuals in building their own understanding of the world. The combination of the two not only enriches the connotation of grounded theory, but also makes it more targeted in explaining social interactions and behaviors.
Grounded theory is a "methodological" methodology that emphasizes how researchers analyze individual situations based on the data collected.
Basic premise of grounded theory
In grounded theory, the main task of qualitative researchers is to generate hypotheses from data, which is very different from the traditional research model. Researchers do not formulate hypotheses in advance, but instead generate concepts and theories based on the data collected. This process fosters meaningful dialogue between researchers and participants, thereby revealing the complexity of social processes and the motivations behind them.
The goal of grounded theory is to generate concepts that explain how people address their core concerns; these concepts become the building blocks of theory.
Grounded Theory Research Methods
The basic steps of grounded theory analysis include coding, theory building, and writing. During the coding process, researchers need to gradually extract useful concepts from the text and mark them for subsequent theory construction. These concepts are then integrated into a larger theoretical framework to make it more complete.
In this research method, everything the researcher encounters can serve as data, which means not only face-to-face interviews, but also observations, books and even daily conversations.
What is unique about grounded theory
Grounded theory is special in that it does not require a prior literature review. This is the important difference between it and other qualitative research methods. The researcher's freedom allows new concepts to be developed without being influenced by preconceived notions, which is crucial for observing and understanding human behavior.
Conclusion
The formation of grounded theory is the inevitable result of the collaboration between two sociologists, Glaser and Strauss. They not only pioneered a new research method, but also inspired a passion for in-depth thinking about social phenomena. In the future, whether grounded theory can continue to play its application value in more social science fields will become an issue worthy of our attention?
