Changes in Strauss & Corbin's Grounded Theory

Kim, Ji Eun

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to introduce and elucidate changes in Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory and discuss its application to the field of nursing in South Korea.
METHODS
The changes in grounded theory by Strauss and Corbin were examined through a literature review of grounded theory from its inception.
RESULTS
Strauss and Corbin acknowledged their philosophical backgrounds of symbolic interactionism and pragmatism; however, their methodology based on positivism overwhelmed their epistemology and ontology. This inconsistency has been represented by the coding paradigm and the premise of "emergent from the data." In the revised version of Basics, Strauss and Corbin modified their theory to weaken the coding paradigm and strengthen the strategies for the development of substantive theory.
CONCLUSION
Strauss and Corbin's revised grounded theory did not fully address the inconsistency of their epistemology and ontology between their acknowledgement and methodology. However, these changes constitute a meaningful step toward resolving inconsistencies and highlight the development of substantive theory. This has implications for Korean nursing researchers who have utilized methodologies in grounded theory with dogmatic approaches; grounded theory, with its evolving nature, is not a finalized method and calls for open approaches for the development of a grounded theory that fits Korean nursing.