Editorial: Perspectives on Autonomy and Control

Astrid Gynnild, University of Bergen Can autonomy be appreciated without sufficient awareness of control? In what ways can autonomy and control be synonyms rather than antonyms? And in what ways can control that was lost be turned into processes of regaining control? Moreover: What does it mean to optimize one’s own resources under shifting conditions? And what does respect and inclusion mean to the quality of teaching? These are some of the questions that surfaced when I started recflecting on the topics of the running theoretical discussions in this issue of the...

The Cry for Help

Barney G. Glaser, PhD, Hon. PhD Classic grounded theory is being chosen as a methodology throughout the world. One result is the cry for help of many individuals with aspects of their getting the research going for their dissertation. The cry is individual, because CGT attracts on the individual level. No department has chosen it for all its candidates as an option. The novice candidate has the task of convincing his supervisor and/or department of his choice. One reason many choose using CGT is that it offers autonomy. By autonomy I mean total freedom to let the...

Oscillating between Conservation and Investment: A Grounded Theory of ...

Katja Hakel, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU Abstract Students’ use of time and effort during their studies has been discussed exhaustively in mass media and educational research. In most cases, researchers try to give advice to teachers on how to get their students to become more active and engaged. The grounded theory presented in this article, however, challenges this approach by focusing on the students’ point of view. When interviewing students for this study, I soon realized that students only have a limited amount of time and effort at their...

Surviving Situational Suffering: A Classic Grounded Theory Study of Po...

Barry Chametzky, PhD Abstract Administrators at post-secondary institutions in the United States hire contingent faculty members to teach a great many classes. It is therefore valuable to understand what the issues are for these on-demand, non-tenured faculty members. The theory of surviving situational suffering explains how part-time adjunct educators in the United States resolve their main concern—maintaining employment—within a context of reduced appreciation, underutilization, and ingratitude. Just as with various historical events now considered discriminatory, the...

Theory of Regaining Control: How Older Adults with New-Onset Urinary I...

Annemarie Dowling-Castronovo, The Evelyn L. Spiro School of Nursing, Wagner College, United States Abstract Older adults viewed new episodes of urinary incontinence as a part of a much broader concern during hospitalization: loss of control with physical, spatial-temporal, and social aspects. During hospitalization, a time crisis, patterns of regaining control became evident: transferring control, exercising “wobbly” control, and adjusting to degree of control regained. Three conditions modify this process of regaining control. Findings offer a unique perspective about...

Book Review: Demystifying Grounded Theory Selection

Gary Evans: University of Prince Edward Island Glaser, B. (2014). Choosing Classic Grounded Theory: A Grounded Theory Reader of Expert Advice. Mill Valley, CA: Sociology Press. How to select a research methodology?  What is the difference between CGT and QDA? Does grounded theory work with case studies?  Is grounded theory the right selection for a PhD dissertation?  These questions and many more are the focus of Dr. Glaser’s new book, which addresses the key issues faced by the novice researcher in selecting classic grounded theory as their research methodology. ...