The SAGE Handbook of Current Developments in Grounded Theory

The original Handbook of Grounded Theory by Bryant and Charmaz continues to be one of the most valuable resources in the field. Now, the editors envision this new book as “an extension and companion… rather than an updated version of its predecessor,” and it definitely succeeds at that goal. With a strong mix of new and revised chapters, it will undoubtedly be every bit as useful as the earlier volume.

I remember seminars with Anselm Strauss, when he listened patiently to my work in progress and quietly remarked, “That’s very nice, but it’s all description.” We were fortunate that he taught us the difference. Theory-building is difficult, and the more time that passes since those Glaser and Strauss days, the more we are deluged with descriptive work calling itself grounded theory. This book like its original Handbook companion is a powerful corrective.

In this volume, we are returned to the era when the method was first described, reminded of the elegant and radical proposition that grounded theory represented, and then exposed to the many cultural, situational, and professional influences on its subsequent manifestations. The authors reclaim the rich capacity of this method to build theory and have it be grounded. The many pathways to that result are effectively situated by authors who themselves contributed to grounded theory’s innovation and interpretation.

Clarke’s Chapter 1 is a tour de force, providing a perfect setup for the narrower foci of the subsequent chapters. From the lofty concerns of epistemology to the practical challenges of coding, readers are given generous and deeply knowledgeable guides. Authors bring a variety of viewpoints, but all are concerned with the original purposes of the grounded theory method. It is gratifying to know that current and future students of grounded theory have this handbook to help them recognize credible grounded theory and discover it for themselves.