Transcript Visual Grounded Theory

Krzysztof T. Konecki
Lodz University
Qualitative Sociology Review
QSR
Qualitative Transitions: Issues of Methodology in
Central and South-East European Sociologies;
University of Rijeka, Croatian Sociological Association
ESA Research Network 20, Qualitative Methods.
QSR
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What is Visual Grounded Theory?
What is the status of data?
Reconstruction of “multislice imaging”
How to do VGT? -> Generating categories on
visualization processes
Selective coding
Comparative analysis of images
Theoretical sampling of places, views “methods of
creation of images” and “contexts of their
production”.
Theoretical saturation
Future prospects
ESA Research Network 20, Qualitative Methods.
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The visual grounded theory is a methodology
that uses the visual data to construct
categories, properties and integrated
theoretical statements on actions and visual
phenomena that are usually manifested as
processes.
One of visual phenomena are visual processes
as visualization of …. some activities…. (visual
processes)
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Visual grounded theory is concerned with
visual processes such as visualizing of
something:
visualization of homelessness, visualization of
identity, individualizing of body, visual
gentrification, visualization of sport practice,
visualization of scientific achievements,
stylization of the body, visual persuasion,
“construction of discipline gazing”,
visualization of intellectual disability, etc.
ESA Research Network 20, Qualitative Methods.
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Data are objective and external to a researcher
(Glaser, 1992)
For Charmaz the data are constructed, they are
dependant on the activities of the researchers
in a context of research, and also the data are
dependant upon theoretical perspective of the
researchers and their knowledge (Charmaz,
2006; Puddephatt, 2006).
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Visual data ignored in GTM
Some excellent exceptions: Charles Suchar (1997),
Adele Clarke (2005), Cornelius Schubert (2006)
Suchar – shooting scripts and sensitizing the concepts
Adele Clarke:
– a/ deciding, locating, collecting and tracking the
materials best suited to the researched situation
b/ analysis -> locating memo, big picture memo,
specification memo (deconstruction)
c/ Mapping - situational maps - many implicated
actors, actants, institutions; social worlds maps and
arenas; positional maps (positions in discourse).
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She makes research on anatomy atlases (images of
men and women) and treats anatomy as discipline in
Foucault sense, i.e. as the way of disciplining of
seeing and gazing.
It is rather situational analysis than GT.
Cornelius Schubert (2006) analysed video recordings
of anaesthetic work during the surgical operations
using the grounded theory approach -> theoretical
sampling, saturation, slice of data.
The approach of Schubert is more video –
ethnographic with the selective use of GT procedures
instead of grounded theory approach per se.
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There is no ready and finished data that are
objective and independent from our way of
seeing (our socialization, perception matrix)
Not all is data!
Data are also given not only constructed!!!
ESA Research Network 20, Qualitative Methods.
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“In theoretical sampling, no one kind of data on a
category nor technique for data collection is
necessarily appropriate. Different kinds of data
give the analyst different views or vantage points
from which to understand a category and to
develop its properties; these different views we
have called slices of data.” (Glaser, Strauss, 1967).
Multislice imaging, in our approach, is a different
thing. We have here inner levels of the slice of
data.
“Multislice imaging” has an assumption that
visual data could have many layers that should be
meticulously analyzed to fully conceptualize
visual processes.
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1. An act of creating pictures (analysis of
context of creation);
2. Acting in the showing of visual images;
3. The visual product of itself, its content and
stylistic structure (that can mean many things
to the different recipients that are active cocreators of visual images);
4. Reception of the picture and visual aspects of
presenting/representing something.
These are slices of the visual dimension of the
psycho - social processes.
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Open coding -> We code the four slices of data
to get the deeper understanding of the contexts
and actions/interactions, image/visual
artefacts displays and content of visual
artefacts.
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Photo 1. Private visualization of yoga practise
(property of category). Hatha - yoga practice at
home.
The woman on the photo preferred to show a pose
than explain it. It is The Warrior Pose I (photo from
the author research project). The lines on the
pictures help in exact description of the pictures and
in localization of objects in the pictures. Moreover,
it helps to evaluate/code the technical aspects of
photography (focusing, etc).
Photo 1. Private
visualization of yoga
practise. Hatha - yoga
practice at home.
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Later we write the memos on four levels of
data.
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If we decide on the category, e.g. “visualization
of yoga – practice” we try to reconstruct how
the action of “the yoga practice is visually
organized”.
Visual organization of the activity means:
process of construction of phenomenon with
coordination work, and
perception/interpretation of constructed
action, different indispensable aspects of
creation, reception, and maintaining of
phenomenon.
The activity is very often visually maintained.
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So we look for the basic visual processes at a
substantive area.
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Visual grounded theory is based mainly on the
comparative method.
A very important tool is to use pictures and
sequencing of pictures, which give a
comparative insight into empirical data.
Comparative – theoretical memos.
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The theoretical sampling is an iterative process of
analysis and data gathering (Strübing, 2004).
If we research, e.g., the process of visualization of
homelessness and analyse the subcategory of the
process, visualisation of physical conditions of
homeless life world, we look for the places/spaces
and contexts that help us to saturate the category
and theoretically elaborate it.
The theoretical question are: How the space is
socially organized? And more questions follow
from this theoretical one: how the space is
organized outside of shelter, in different contexts?
What kind of social actors organize it? What are
relations between them? How the public space is
organized for visual purposes?
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Theoretical sampling for the visual processes
means also looking for the “methods of
taking pictures” and “contexts of their
production” and also reception (so necessary
is the multislice imaging).
We are interested here in the first, second, third
and fourth inner - slices of imaging.
The sampling gives the base for putting the
general statements.
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Saturating the categories we, at the same time,
do theoretical sampling and formulate
hypotheses that become the core of a visual
grounded theory.
QSR
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The necessity of development of VGT is
connected with “the visual turn” that occurred
in our time life (PP presentations, photo/video
blogs, video/photo family albums, mobile
phones with cameras, etc.)
Moreover, visual grounded theory gives the
possibility to analyse unspeakable and
indescribable phenomena and move beyond
“spoken language – centred data” (body
moves/experience, visual discourses, etc.).
www.qualitativesociologyreview.org
ESA Research Network 20, Qualitative Methods.
QSR