Grounded theory is a theory that is derived from data that was gathered and analyzed during the research process. The Strauss and Corbin reading explained, “In this method, data collection, analysis, and eventual theory stand in close relationship to one another… Rather, the researcher will begin with an area of study and allows the theory to emerge from the data. Theory derived from data is more likely to resemble the ‘reality’ than is theory derived by outing together a series of concepts based on experience or solely through speculation.”
To me, grounded theory seems best suited for strictly qualitative studies where subjectivism may not be looked at as a data-corrupting issue. Instead of jumping into a study with a clear theory framework, the initial stages of a true grounded theory seems to instead provide a sense of vision of where the researcher wants to go with the research. In other words, the text and the extracted data guides the study, not the other way around. This is almost a refreshing concept to me because instead of having strict guidelines of what I can or can’t do in a study, I can just follow the leads that the data provides.
The reading by Johnson and Holmes, “Contradictory Messages: A Content Analysis of Hollywood-Produced Romantic Comedy Feature Films,” is a prime example of a grounded theory. This study analyzed the romantic content of a sample of romantic comedy films using basic grounded theory methodology. What made this study stand out to me was that I could imagine the researchers measuring up to many of the qualities of an effective grounded theorist mentioned in the Strauss and Corbin reading. Johnson and Holmes were able to step back and critically analyze the films, regardless of how they felt about the individual films or the romantic-comedy genre. I also imagine that the open coding and axial coding steps of the study were very intense and arduous. They obviously had to think very abstractly to effectively code these films, while still being flexible to the other researcher’s interpretation of the films.
Hayden Coombs 