 'Discovering' chronic illness: Using grounded theoryKathy Charmaz Social Science & Medicine, 1990, vol. 30, issue 11, 1161-1172 Abstract: This paper focuses on using the grounded theory method to study social psychological themes which cut across diverse chronic illnesses. The grounded theory method is presented as a method having both phenomenological and positivistic roots, which leads to confusion and misinterpretations of the method. A social constructionist version and application of grounded theory are introduced after brief overviews of the method and of the debates it has engendered are provided. Next, phases in developing concepts and theoretical frameworks through using the grounded theory approach are discussed. These phases include: (1) developing and refining the research and data collection questions, (2) raising terms to concepts, (3) asking more conceptual questions on a generic level and (4) making further discoveries and clarifying concepts through writing and rewriting. Throughout the discussion, examples and illustrations are derived from two recent papers, 'Disclosing Illness' and 'Struggling for a Self: Identity Levels of the Chronically Ill'. Last, the merits of the method for theoretical development are discussed. Date: 1990 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:30:y:1990:i:11:p:1161-1172 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from Access Statistics for this article Social Science & Medicine is currently edited by Ichiro (I.) Kawachi and S.V. (S.V.) Subramanian More articles in Social Science & Medicine from Elsevier |
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