Constructivist grounded theory: a new research approach in social science

This article tries to explore the constructivist grounded theory (CGT) in qualitative research. American sociologist Kathy Charmaz has developed a new qualitative research field “Constructivist Grounded Theory” for the first time in 2006. Constructivist grounded theory is a qualitative research methodology that draws comparison between the ethical principles of deontology, utilitarian and virtue ethics, and individuals seek to understand the world in which they live and work. It is a popular method for research studies mainly in psychology, education, and nursing. In social sciences, it represents culture, context, literacy, personal experiences, as well as application of knowledge. It also presents the theoretical substructures of symbolic interactionism and constructivism. Constructivism is used for research, learning, and teaching with peers. There are various types of constructivism, such as social, psychological, personal, radical, and contextual constructivism. On the other hand, symbolic interactionism is the process of human interaction that provides the meanings for the experiences through language, symbols, and social interactions. This study tries to investigate how constructivist grounded theory has developed in times from the original grounded theory of Glaser and Strauss. The paper also tries to highlight characteristics, application, and importance of constructivist grounded theory.