PK: Methodologies Lab: The Diversity of the Grounded Theory

The Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM) is not only one the most applied methods in the social sciences, but also the most systematized one guiding researchers from data collection and its interpretation to the theorization of one’s findings. But, especially for young researchers the method often appears to be rather a mystery: Is this a correct application? How to sample theoretically? What is theoretical sensitivity? How to analyze discursive data with the GTM? And, do I really need to use the interactionist coding paradigm? Things obviously get more complicated when asking what kind of GTM one should apply: the interactionist version (Strauss & Corbin), the situational one (Clarke), the constructivist approach (Charmaz) or rather Glaser’s version?

The course aims to introduce the guiding principles of the GTM (theoretical sampling, flip-flop, codings etc.) by looking at the diverse approaches of the GTM and their interpretation of these principles. In order to make the methodological discussion more concrete, we will use a case study as an empirical example of how one could apply the GTM. Instead of asking ‘What is the correct application of the GTM?’, the course focuses on the diversity and the flexibility of the GTM and the possibilities it offers for one’s research interests. If required by the participants a follow-up could take place on May the 25th (10am-2pm).