Grounded Theory -- Definition and Overview in Sociology

Grounded theory is a research methodology that results in the production of a theory that explains patterns in data, and that predicts what social scientists might expect to find in similar data sets. When practicing this popular social science method, a researcher begins with a set of data, either quantitative or qualitative, then identifies patterns, trends, and relationships among the data. Based on these, the researcher constructs a theory that is grounded in the data itself. This research method differs from the traditional approach to science, which begins with a theory and the seeks to test it through the scientific method. As such, grounded theory can be described as an inductive method, or a form of inductive reasoning. Sociologists  Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss popularized this method in the 1960s, which they and many others considered an antidote to the popularity of deductive theory, which is often speculative in nature, seemingly disconnected from the realities of social life, and may, in fact, go untested. In contrast, the grounded theory method produces a theory that is based on scientific research. (To learn more, see Glaser and Strausss 1967 book,  The Discovery of Grounded Theory.) Grounded Theory Grounded theory allows researchers to be scientific and creative at the same time, as long as the researchers follow these guidelines: Periodically step back and ask questions.  The researcher needs to step back once in a while and ask the following questions: What is going on here? Does what I think I see fit the reality of the data? Data does not lie, so the researcher needs to make sure their own ideas about what is happening matches what the data is telling them, or the researcher may need to alter their idea of what is going on.Maintain an attitude of skepticism.  All theoretical explanations, hypotheses, and questions about the data should be regarded as preliminary, whether they come from the literature, experience, or making comparisons. They should always be checked out against the data and never accepted as fact.Follow the research procedures.  Research procedures (data collection, analysis, etc.) are designed to give precision and accuracy to a study. They also help the researcher break through biases and lead him or her to examine some of his or her assumptions that might otherwise be unrealistic. Therefore, it is important that the correct research procedures are followed so that an accurate conclusion is reached. With these principles in mind, a researcher can construct a grounded theory in eight basic steps. Pick a research area, topic, or population of interest, and form one or more research questions about it.Collect data using a scientific method.Look for patterns, themes, trends, and relationships among the data in a process called open coding.Begin to construct your theory by writing theoretical memos about the codes that emerge from your data, and the relationships among codes.Based on what you have discovered so far, focus on the most relevant codes and review your data with them in mind in a process of selective coding. Conduct more research to gather more data for the selected codes as needed.Review and organize your memos to allow the data and your observations of them to shape an emergent theory.Review related theories and research and figure out how your new theory fits within it.Write your theory and publish it. Updated  by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

The Trial of Socrates - 1543 Words

In the trial of Socrates, I juror number 307, Ryan Callahan vote the defendant is Not Guilty on the first charge of Corrupting the youth. My justifications for this vote are as follows. Socrates didn t corrupt the youth, he just shared his ideas with them and they in turn chose the path to take these ideas. Part of understanding this case is understand the time in which the case was held. This time being 399 B.C., a time in which Athens was a free democratic city, a town which prided itself at the time on the fact that its citizens had much freedom, particularly freedom of speech. Socrates believed that only people who were educated should rule the people, which meant that people were not capable of government participation†¦show more content†¦On top of all that when the arrogant Socrates went on trial he left the jury no choice but to find him guilty so he played right into their hands. So to sum up the trial, the charges against him were officially two, corrupti ng the youth and impiety. The two charges were, of course, linked, and, in the relevant senses, he was, we must admit, guilty of at least one of them. For his effect on the lives of the young men who followed him was indeed disrupting, and even corrupting, of the social order. What his followers learned from him above all else, is to do two things. They learned to scrutinize, and they learned to be skeptical. It was not that they mindlessly adopted a motto like trust no one over 30, or that they became, like many of today s young people, contrary simply for the sake of being contrary. Rather, they learned not to take on authority or on faith what others told them about virtue, justice, or piety; they were seeking, as was Socrates himself, the truth of the matter and the reasons for taking it to be the truth of the matter. And as we all know, the relentless pursuit of the truth produces enemies. A Socrates may in the long run serve mankind, but in the short run he aggravates virtu ally everyone around him. Socrates was thus put to death for teaching others to scrutinize and be skeptical about what they are told, andShow MoreRelatedTrial of Socrates914 Words   |  4 PagesTrial of Socrates What do Jesus, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther King Jr., and Socrates all have in common? All of them died for their beliefs. The Trial of Socrates depicts a scene where Socrates is in prison condemned to death and he is speaking with an acquaintance Crito. Socrates is being put to death because he was charged with corrupting the youth and not acknowledging the gods. Although over the course of the trial Socrates has numerous opportunities to evade the death penalty, he doesRead MoreTrial of Socrates1059 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates was a great philosopher of the Greek world. He was quite an atypical and distinctive person. Being different from all the other philosophers of the land, Socrates was teaching his students ideas totally out of the ordinary from what the society believed was right. As a result, he displeased many people so much that they decided to get rid of him. Socrates was put to trial, accused of spoiling the youth of Athens, tried and sentenced to death. His person al defense is described in works twoRead MoreTrial of Socrates1073 Words   |  5 PagesSocrates was a great philosopher of the Greek world. He was quite an atypical and distinctive person. Being different from all the other philosophers of the land, Socrates was teaching his students ideas totally out of the ordinary from what the society believed was right. As a result, he displeased many people so much that they decided to get rid of him. Socrates was put to trial, accused of spoiling the youth of Athens, tried and sentenced to death. His personal defense is described in works twoRead MoreThe Trial And Death Of Socrates : The Trial And Death Of Socrates972 Words   |  4 Pages The Trial and Death of Socrates, depicts the different stages of Socrates’s life, from his prosecution until his execution. During the narratives, Socrates gives us, as readers, insight towards his beliefs and philosophy, which are viewed as reasons for his imprisonment. Phaedo’s recollect ion of Socrates’s last few hours alive, reveals Socrates’s most important belief, that the soul is an entity which is immortal and is valuable during and after life. All perceived lusts, greed, and fear are causedRead MoreSocrates Trial Essay662 Words   |  3 PagesSocrates Trial In 399 B.C., Socrates, a seventy year old man, was brought to trial. He faced several accusations of different sorts. Initially, the court had pronounced Socrates guilty. However, because the law had no penalty ordained for his offense, it was required of Socrates to propose his own penalty, or to take the one suggested by Meletos, the death penalty. When the time had come for Socrates to state his defense, he addressed each of the accusations made against him, one by oneRead MoreSocrates Trial Essay807 Words   |  4 PagesApology Socrates was charged and put on trial for impiety, as well as accused of committing many other crimes. I will first explain the most important issues of why Socrates was sent to death. Then I will argue the position that Socrates is innocent, and should not be have been found guilty. To introduce, Socrates was placed on trial and charged with the crime of impiety. Impiety is the lack of reverence for the gods and other sacred things. As well another major claim was that Socrates was corruptingRead MoreThe Trial And Death Of Socrates845 Words   |  4 Pagesright or not. For that, in this essay, we will use Plato’s The Trial and Death of Socrates, as our example of how this kind of attitudes play in Socrates’ life as it is well-known as intelligently and morally lived one. In Euthyphro section, Socrates meets a man named Euthyphro before his trial, where he is being accused by Meletus for corrupting the youth. While Euthyphro is here to prosecute his own father for the case of murder. Socrates starts to ask him about his meaning of piety. â€Å"It is notRead MoreThe Trial And Death Of Socrates1701 Words   |  7 PagesIn reading, The Trial and Death of Socrates, Socrates presents himself against â€Å"the majority† and endures prosecution for inventing new gods and not believing in old ones. Socrates lives a life that is opposite of much of the â€Å"the majority† ideals. â€Å"The majority† values goods, possessions, and uncontrollable attributes given to them by others such as a high reputation and honor. In addition, The Greek Philosopher was able to refuse the opportunity to escape his death sentence while he had sons atRead MoreTrial and Death of Socrates2267 Words   |  10 PagesBenjamin Jowett. The Trial and Death of Socrates (Dover Edition). New York: Dover Publications, 1992 â€Å"What is the charge? Well, a very serious charge, which shows a good deal of character in the young man, and for which he is certainly not to be despised. He says he knows how the youth are corrupted and who are their corruptors. And I fancy that he must be a wise man, and seeing that I am anything but a wise man, he has found me out, and is going to accuse me of corrupting his young friendsRead MoreThe Trial and Death of Socrates Essay1639 Words   |  7 PagesThe portrayal of Socrates, through the book â€Å"the trial and death of Socrates† is one that has created a fairly controversial character in Western history. In many ways, Socrates changed the idea of common philosophy in ancient Greece; he transformed their view on philosophy from a study of why the way things are, into a consideration man. Specifically, he analyzed the virtue and health of the human soul. Along side commending Socrates for his strong beliefs, and having the courage to stand by those

Concept Comparisons and Analysis Theories - 1667 Words

Concept Comparison and Analysis across Theories UOP Theoretical Foundations of Nursing NUR/513 Concept Comparison and Analysis across Theories Nursing theory is relatively new and as such, it continues to evolve as new knowledge is gained. There are numerous theories of nursing, each of which took years to develop and most of which continue to evolve and adapt. There are commonalities between and among the existing theories although each may focus more heavily on different aspects of responsibilities. It has to do with the philosophical foundations for each theory. Moore, (Moore, 2008) reported a nursing metaparadigm of four basic concepts: person, health, environment, and nursing. Another author suggested the core†¦show more content†¦Exactly where they are on the continuum is determined by the balance found in each of the five factors in the metaparadigm (Tourville and Ingalls, 2003). For example, how a person reacts to stressors has a great impact on their health. It is the nurses responsibility to help the patient restore balance and stability of the five fa ctors (Tourville and Ingalls, 2003). This is very similar to the nurses responsibility according to Orem. It also reflects the metaparadigm on nursing theories as well as the core concepts as presented by others. Jean Watsons theory of nursing is based on the ideas of a number of philosophers and psychologists, including Carl Rogers, most specifically on his phenomenological psychology and philosophy (Tourville and Ingalls, 2003, p. 21). Her theory evolved over at least two decades of diverse experiences. Watsons theory is referred to as Transpersonal Caring because it emphasizes unity in the world (Tourville and Ingalls, 2003). Watson proposed that caring is a natural act for humans and it becomes a moral principle at the point when a patient and a nurse share a caring experience (Watson 2007). According to Watson, the goal of nursing is to help the patient achieve harmony of mind, body and spirit (Watson, 2007). To apply Watsons model, a nurse needs to create a shared caring experience with a patient. This shared experience will lead to better outcomes for the patient as well as aShow MoreRelatedConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories1051 Words   |  5 PagesConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Nur 513 May 19, 2014 Theory is the core of nursing and nursing process. It describes, explains and predicts the uniqueness of a phenomenon. Theory is analysis and examine to determine the viability in the world of professional nursing. Concepts is the framework and foundation of the theory which consist of concrete and abstracts. The purpose of this paper is to select a core concept that is common to two nursing theories. Compare and AnalysisRead MoreConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories1882 Words   |  8 PagesConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Julie McKay NUR/513 Theoretical Foundations of Practice December 06, 2014 Stephanie Vaughn Ph.D. R.N. CCRN A concept is a term that theoretically describes and names a fact or phenomenon, thus providing it with a separate identity or meaning. Nurses use theories to clarify the events through nursing practice. A concept analysis provides insight to nursing knowledge and understanding of the concepts allows nurses to determine nursing actionsRead MoreConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories1775 Words   |  8 PagesConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Ryan Velasco University of Phoenix NUR/513 March 13, 2012 Noura Kassis Ed.D., R.N. Concept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Nursing as a profession has evolved through the contributions of practicing nurse theorists who have worked rigorously toward improving the way nurses approach the art and science of nursing. Through theory development, nursing models, and their conceptual frameworks, they have provided a foundationRead MoreConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories1773 Words   |  8 PagesConcept Comparison and Analysis across Theories â€Å"Nursing theory is the term given to the body of knowledge applied to support nursing practice. Nursing theory is a framework designed to organize knowledge and explain phenomena in nursing, at a more concrete and specific level. A nursing theory is a set of concepts, definitions, relationships, and assumptions or propositions derived from nursing models or from other disciplines and project a purposive, systematic view of phenomena by designingRead MoreConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Paper1713 Words   |  7 PagesConcept Comparison and Analysis across Theories Paper NUR 513 August 6, 2012 Comparison and Analysis Theories Paper The heart of nursing has always been caring. Since the start of professional nursing with Florence Nightingale, theorists have been writing about caring. This paper highlights three caring theories Madeleine Leininger, Jean Watson, and the combine theory of Patricia Benner and Judith Wrubel these theorists each has developed a theory of caring. ThisRead MoreConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Essay1793 Words   |  8 PagesConcept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories NUR/513 October, 22, 2012 Delores Diehl Concept Comparison and Analysis Across Theories Nursing is a science that has many theories to support the beliefs and clinical practice of the profession. One core concept prevalent in many nursing theories is caring. Theorist Jean Watson and Madeleine Leininger are both nursing theorists who developed theories around caring and nursing. The subject of discussion in this paper is the comparison and analysisRead MoreTheories And Theories Of Nursing Essay1211 Words   |  5 PagesMcEwin and Ellis, theory in nursing â€Å"offers structure and organization to nursing knowledge and provides a systematic means of collecting data to describe, explain, and predict nursing practice† (McEwen Wills, 2014, p. 25). Theories in nursing are what distinguish it from other professions and help to create professional boundaries (McEwen Wills, 2014)Click and drag to move. When theories are applied in the nursing process, there are various concepts from the respective theory that are introducedRead MoreThe Logic Of Grounded Theory And Init ial Coding Essay1372 Words   |  6 PagesThe book by Kathy Charmaz is successful in the sense of presenting concepts regarding the knowledge of the construction of grounded theory. For researchers in the field of education, this book plays a crucial role as one significant tool for reference. To understand the assertions of Charmaz and the rich knowledge presented in the book, it is significant for one to carry out chapter-by-chapter reading. Therefore, with this analysis, it is also significant for one to make a succinct summary of theseRead MoreApplication Of Concept Analysis For Clinical Practice1414 Words   |  6 PagesApplication of Concept Analysis to Clinical Practice The article selected for the Application of Concept Analysis to Clinical Practice was the article named â€Å"Nurse Competence: A Concept Analysis† by Ms. Sarah Smith. The article’s purpose is to deduce the use of Rodgers’ evolutionary method and how it pertains to nursing. The article states that nurse competence is not a destination but rather a journey that gets longer the more you learn (Smith, 2012). This article establishes that, by obtainingRead MoreA Critical Comparison Of Marxist Theory And Merton’S Strain1530 Words   |  7 Pages  A Critical Comparison of Marxist Theory and Merton’s Strain Theory of Deviance. Introduction: This particular work will consist of a critical theoretical review and a comparative analysis on two criminological theories. For the comparison I have chosen Marx’s theory of crime and Merton’s strain theory of deviance. My critical comparison analysis will emphasise the central concepts and arguments within both theories and how each theory explains crime. The analysis will then explore modern day

By Yonas SD Essay Example For Students

By Yonas SD Essay . 2007 AAUIntroductionThis research is conducted on the conflict management resolution techniques of Organization of African Union in comparison to African Union commission. Its aims are describing and analyzing the different methods techniques of these two institutions adopted to obvert resolve conflict .Besides the research aimed to suggest on the peace keeping peace building mechanism of these institutions in comparison to one another. Statement of the problem;Numerous conflicts in Africa, among the worst in world history, had been seen. Particularly after the end of cold war the scourge of violence has shown remarkable augmentation. Mean while international involvement to resolve Africa problems became least due to; insufficient political will of the international community, multiplicity of African conflicts, extended responsibility of international institutions, the setbacks it encounter (1993 in Somalia) are some of the factors. Presence of many ethnic groups nationalities exc eedingly contributed for the mushrooming of ethnic other inter state conflict in the continent. Border conflict which is a colonial heritage ravaged the continent for a long period of time. ObjectiveThe basic objectives of this paper are:To show the importance of having regional mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolving as well as maintaining ,promotion of peace security as well as stability on the continent. To identify similarity differences of OAU AU conflict management mechanismTo analyze their fragile side and sturdy side in order to suggest other possible means of forestalling conflict establishing sustainable peace in the continent. Significance of the studyThis research is significant in three ways. Preliminary it serves as a guide on haw important it is having regional arrangements on the maintenance of international peace security. Secondly, the evaluation of their techniques can clearly show as where the blunder was committed by the institutions, and thirdly it tells as haw to restructure in the direction of improving the mechanisms. Besides it can be used by concerned bodies as groundwork for further study. LimitationsAmong many limitation s that I faced during my research the inaccessibility of archive materials individuals has above reaching impact on the research .Until now many documents are exclusives for such kinds of studies. The short period of the AU life span doesnt permit as to make deep evaluation on its performance. Never the less we have tried our greatest endeavor to fill the gapes from other sources techniques. Methods We employed primary courses such as referring the protocol of the establishment of Au the protocol of the peace Security Council of the AU the constitution of the African Union. Books on conflict conflict resolution are widely used during the research .Internet sources as well as policy documents were our other target during the research. BackgroundAfrica is made up of many list developed countries. It is a place for many conflicting factors. There are many factors to make the continent the arena for so many wrest conflicts in history. The artificial boundaries devised many of the African countries is one major factor for intense numerous inter- state conflicts in Africa. Secondly, the existence of difference economic inequalities socio economic declines side by side with economic regressions are major factors for intense inert state as well as intra state conflicts. Thirdly, absence of national state with the exception of Swaziland, Somalia, Lesotho, Tunisia is one factor that precipitates conflict. Besides conflict over the definition and implication of self administration caused the most exhausting extravagant civil wars in the continent. Demand of the majority for democratic representation is also another factor that precipitates internal conflict. The best example is the case of Eritrean succession war the so ca lled thirty years war of Africa that took lasted for 30 years 1962-1992.However, acute nationalism ?nic conflicts are spreading at an alarming rate. Fourthly, ideological socio political deference among African countries during the cold war period affected their relations negatively. Some even drown to deep conflict. The Ethio- Somalia war of 1977-78 had a touch of this factor in addition to the irredentist action of Somalia. Fifth, religious difference ethnic diversity inside among African countries is the deadly dynamic for copious inter state and intra state conflicts. In other words ethnic based conflicts assertion of an ethnic group either minority