“Grounded Theory” as a Method of Psychological Mapping of Social Situations

This article, of a methodological genre, substantiates the qualitative approach to the study of social situations. Acceptance of contextuality in cognition and action, the study of dynamic relationships of the individual and environment, objective and subjective measurements of their interaction in everyday life, the formation of the concept of man as a situation (L.Ya. Ginsburg) — modern psychology does not have tools for the realization of these theoretical aspirations in research practices. It is proposed to use one of the classical methods of qualitative analysis ‘Grounded theory’, familiar to sociologists and to a lesser extent psychologists. The following types of Grounded theory stand out: first generation (positivist) and second generation (postmodern). In reality, A. Clarke’s version of qualitative analysis turns into semantic mapping situations that closely resembles the Russian tradition of social cognition, which always takes into account the role of perception, categorization and interpretation of situations by their immediate participants as members of various communities and groups (G.M. Andreeva, N.V. Grishina). The article demonstrates the procedures for constructing situational maps: theoretical sampling, inductive-deductive (abductive) strategy of data analysis, constant comparative analysis, memo writing, and coding. The main steps and techniques of the method are illustrated by the results of the empirical study of magical practices (clairvoyance, astrology, palmistry, fortune telling) in the modern metropolis. Qualitative analysis of ten in-depth interviews with representatives from “magic professions” working in one of the esoteric centers of Moscow, allows for the creation of a semantic map of the marginal situation of their social activity. The article concludes that qualitative research methodology is ‘sensitive’ to the context and it can be considered as the most convenient tool for studying social situations. The specific method of Grounded theory, initially developed in sociology, is the answer to the quest of modern psychology, whose theoretical innovations to a large extent unexpectedly defined empirical research.

1. Ginzburg L.Ia. Notes. Memories. Essays. St. Petersburg, Iskusstvo Publ., 2002. (In Russian)
2. Ross L., Nisbett R. Person and the situation: perspectives of social psychology. Moscow, Aspect Press Publ., 1999. (In Russian)
3. Gilovich T., Ross L. The wisest one in the room: how you can benefit from social psychology’s most powerful insights. Moscow, Individuum Publ., 2019. (In Russian)
4. Grishina N.V. Situational approach: research issues and practical possibilities. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Series 16. Psychology and Education, 2016, vol. 1, pp. 58–68. (In Russian)
5. Personality psychology: stay in change. Ed. by N.V.Grishina. St. Petersburg, S.-Peterb. un-ta Publ., 2019. (In Russian)
6. Mel’nikova O.T., Khoroshilov D.A. Methodological principles of qualitative research in psychology. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriia 14. Psikhologiia, 2013, no. 3, pp. 4–17. (In Russian)
7. Busygina N.P. Qualitative and quantitative research methods in psychology. Moscow, Iurait Publ., 2015. (In Russian)
8. Mel’nikova O.T., Krichevets A.N., Khoroshilov D.A. Historical and epistemological context of the development of qualitative research in psychology: part 1. Psikhologicheskie issledovaniia, 2013, vol. 6, no. 32. Available at: http://psystudy.ru (accessed: 25.10.2019). (In Russian)
9. Glaser B.G., Strauss A.L. Awareness of dying. Chicago, Aldine Publishing Company, 1965.
10. Glaser B.G., Strauss A.L. The Discovery of Grounded theory: strategies for qualitative Research. Chicago, Aldine Publishing Company, 1967.
11. Merton R. Social theory and social structure. Moscow, AST Publ., 2006. (In Russian)
12. Glaser B.G. Theoretical sensitivity: advances in the methodology of Grounded theory. Mill Valley (CA), Sociology Press, 1978.
13. Zabaev I.V. Data analysis in Grounded theory: B.Glaser’s version. Sotsiologiia, 2011, no. 4, pp. 124–142. (In Russian)
14. Strauss A., Corbin J. Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Moscow, Editorial URSS Publ., 2001. (In Russian)
15. Charmaz K. Constructing Grounded theory. London, Sage, 2014.
16. Clarke A. Situational analysis: Grounded theory after postmodern turn. London, Sage, 2005.
17. Varshaver E. Research question in the postmodern methodology. Sotsial’naia real’nost’, 2008, no. 6, pp. 91–101. (In Russian)
18. Rogozin D. Adele Clarke’s situational analysis. Chelovek, 2007, no. 1. pp. 38–48. (In Russian)
19. Romanov P.V., Jarskaja-Smirnova E.R. Social anthropology. Rostov-na-Donu, Feniks Publ., 2004. (In Russian)
20. Andreeva G.M. Social cognition. Moscow, Aspekt Press Publ., 2005. (In Russian)
21. Grishina N.V. Psychology of social situations. Voprosy psikhologii, 1997, no. 1, pp. 121–132. (In Russian)
22. Charmaz K., Henwood K. Grounded theory methods for qualitative psychology. The Sage handbook of qualitative research in psychology. Eds C.Willig, W. Stainton-Rogers. London, Sage, 2017, pp. 238–255.
23. Thornberg R., Charmaz K. Grounded theory and theoretical coding. The Sage handbook of qualitative data analysis. Ed. by U.Flick. London, Sage, 2014, pp.153 –169.
24. Willig C. Introducing qualitative research in psychology. Maidenhead, Open University Press, 2013.
25. Khoroshilov D.A., Mashkov D.S. Social imaginary in the psychological structure of the everyday life. Psikhologicheskie issledovaniia, 2017, vol. 10, no. 56. Available at: http://psystudy.ru (accessed: 25.10.2019). (In Russian)
26. Subbotskii E.V. Magic and the mind: mechanisms, functions, and development of magical thinking and behavior. Moscow; Berlin, Direkt-Media Publ., 2015. (In Russian)
27. Grishina N.V.The problem of the conceptualization of context in modern psychology. Sotsial’naia psikhologiia i obshchestvo, 2018, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 10–20. (In Russian)
28. Khoroshilov D.A., Mel’nikova O.T. Qualitative analysis in psychology — is it art or science? Voprosy psikhologii, 2018, no. 2, pp. 1–10. (In Russian)
29. Glaser B. Basics of Grounded theory analysis: emergence vs forcing. Mill Walley, CA, Sociology Press, 1992.
30. Gusel’tseva M. S. Psychology and new methodologies: the epistemology of complexity. Psikhologicheskie issledovaniia, 2015, vol. 8, no. 42. Available at: http://psystudy.ru (accessed: 25.10.2019). (In Russian)