Anselm Strauss, Adele Clarke and the Feminist Gretchen Question: On the Relationship Between Grounded Theory Methodology and Situational Analysis

Abstract

Current studies on knowledge construction in qualitative research show that the guiding principles in empirical social research practices differ between Europe and North America; with those in North American being shaped by a specific understanding of pragmatism which emphasizes proximity between research and sociopolitical intervention. Based on this understanding, in this article I scrutinize current North-American debates on generation shifts in grounded theory-based research. Controversies around the role of feminism in science are highlighted, in particular with regard to situational analysis as proposed by Adele CLARKE. I clarify implications for situational analysis as compared to grounded theory methodology, and identify connections for further methodological groundings.