The Local-Cosmopolitan Scientist

Barney G. Glaser, Ph.D., Hon. Ph.D. [This paper was originally published in The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. LXIX, No. 3, November 1963] In contrast to previous discussions in the literature treating cosmopolitan and local as two distinct groups of scientists, this paperi demonstrates the notion of cosmopolitan and local as a dual orientation of highly motivated scientists. This dual orientation is derived from institutional motivation, which is a determinant of both high quality basic research and accomplishment of non-research organizational activities. The dual...

The Literature Review in Classic Grounded Theory Studies: A methodolog...

Ólavur Christiansen, Ph.D. The place and purpose of the literature review in a Classic (Glaserian) Grounded Theory (CGT) study is to situate the research outcome within the body of previous knowledge, and thus to assess its position and place within the main body of relevant literature. The literature comparison is conceptual, i.e. the focus is on the comparison of concepts. The literature comparison is not contextual, i.e., it is not based on the origin of the data. This, of course, means that the literature comparison has to be made in a selective manner. It is obvious...

The Rediscovery and Resurrection of Bunk Johnson – a Grounded Theory A...

Richard Ekins, Ph.D., FRSA Abstract This paper was written in the beginning phase of my transitioning from grounded theory sociologist (Ekins, 1997)1 to grounded theory musicologist (Ekins, 2010)2. In particular, it provides preliminary data for a grounded theory of ‘managing authenticity’, the core category/basic social process (Glaser, 1978) that has emerged from my ongoing grounded theory work in jazz historiography. It was written whilst I was ‘credentialising’ (Glaser, 2010) my transition to popular music studies and popular musicology. In...

A Commentary on Ekins (2011)

Hans Thulesius, MD, Ph.D. According to the author, Richard Ekins’ case study on jazz history “provides preliminary data for a grounded theory of managing authenticity”. The paper is well written, entertaining to read and I can recognise the style from Ekins’ paper male femaling1, one of my favourite GTs. The four concepts of trailblazing, mythologising, debunking and marginalising are catchy, interesting and make sense. Ekins says he has not done classic grounded theory but a conceptual description influenced by constructivist approaches. This is...

A Commentary on Ekins (2011)

Vivian B. Martin, Ph.D. Early in his article Richard Ekins concedes that the work before us is “inimical” to classic grounded theory. Unlike many who fly the flag of grounded theory, Ekins, the author of a well-regarded study of what he calls male femaling, or male cross dressers, is a student of grounded theory, but it appears that in his latest phase of research, jazz historiography, he is grappling with combining grounded theory with some of the strictures of his new substantive area. He offers what is in effect a case study of the rediscovery of New Orleans jazz...

Response to Hans Thulesius and Vivian B. Martin on Ekins (2011)

Richard Ekins, Ph.D., FRSA I appreciate the valuable comments from Hans Thulesius and Vivian Martin. Both reviewers usefully and most helpfully pinpoint salient issues to be considered in forging future routes for my ongoing research in jazz historiography. I agree with Vivian Martin that ‘authenticating’ works better for early jazz and first wave USA revivalism (including Bunk Johnson) and would like to say that at the time I wrote the abstract, I was favouring ‘managing authenticity’ over ‘authenticating’ as the core category in order to provide a more embracive...