GT Theoretical Coding Families

A summary of grounded theory (“GT”) theoretical coding (“TC”) families from Barney Glaser’s (1978) Theoretical Sensitivity (pp. 74-82) and The Grounded Theory Perspective III: Theoretical Coding (Glaser, 2005, pp. 22-29). Please consider these TC’s as a guide, yet do not force them. TC’s should emerge through memoing, coding, and sorting.

Six C’s

The big c’s.

  • Context
  • Cause
  • Covariance
  • Condition
  • Contingent
  • Consequence

Causal

Causal relations.

  • Conjectural causation
  • Amplifying causal looping
  • Bias random walk
  • Repetitive causal reproductions
  • Equifinality
  • Conjunctural causation
  • Reciprocal causation
  • Triggers
  • Perceptual compounding

Process

A change of cause, where quantity of [process unit] is greater than two.

  • Stages, Staging
  • Phases, Phasing
  • Progressions, Progressing
  • Passages, Passaging
  • Gradiations, Gradiating
  • Steps, Stepping
  • Ranks, Ranking
  • Careers, Careering
  • Orders, Ordering
  • Trajectories, Trajectorying
  • Chains, Chaining
  • Sequences, Sequencing
  • Temporals, Temporaling
  • Shapes, Shaping
  • Cycles, Cycling

Temporal

  • Time lines
  • Pacing of action (in self, other, growing conditions etc.)

Degree

The degree of variance in variability.

  • Limit
  • Range
  • Intensity
  • Extent
  • Amount
  • Polarity
  • Extreme
  • Boundary
  • Rank
  • Grades
  • Continuum
  • Probability
  • Possibility
  • Level
  • Cutting Points
  • Critical Juncture
  • Statistical Average (Median, Mean, Mode)
  • Deviation
  • Standard Deviation
  • Exemplar
  • Modicum
  • Full
  • Partial
  • Almost
  • Half

Dimension

Divides a whole into parts; dimensions of a category.

  • Dimension of Dimensions
  • Element of Elements
  • Division of Divisions
  • Piece of Pieces
  • Property  of Properties
  • Facet of Facets
  • Sector of Sectors
  • Portion of Portions
  • Segment of Segments
  • Part of Parts
  • Aspect of Aspects
  • Section of Sections

Type

Variation in a whole; combinations of categories.

  • Type of Types
  • Kind of Kinds
  • Style of Styles
  • Class of Classes
  • Genre of Genres

Strategy

Intent act to organize reality (lack of intent is consequence).

  • Strategies
  • Tactics
  • Mechanisms
  • Managed
  • Way
  • Manipulation
  • Maneuverings
  • Dealing With
  • Handling
  • Techniques
  • Ploys
  • Means
  • Goals
  • Arrangements
  • Dominating
  • Positioning

Interactive

Interactive pattern of two (2) or more variables.

  • Mutual Effects
  • Reciprocity
  • Mutual Trajectory
  • Mutual Dependency
  • Interdependence
  • Interaction of Effects
  • Covariance

Unit Identity

Identity-Self

  • Self-image
  • Self-concept
  • Self-worth
  • Self-evaluation
  • Identity
  • Social Worth
  • Self-realization
  • Transformations of Self
  • Conversions of Identity

Binary

Compliance with institutional or normal roles.

Boundary, Cutting-Point

Narrow distributions within degree of variance in variability.

  • Boundary
  • Critical juncture
  • Cutting point
  • Turning point
  • Breaking point
  • Benchmark
  • Division
  • Cleavage
  • Scales
  • In-out
  • Intra-extra
  • Tolerance levels
  • Dichotomy
  • Trichotomy
  • Polychotomy
  • Deviance
  • Point of no return

Outer Limits

Where distribution within degree … are at boundaries of distribution.

Means-Goal

  • End
  • Purpose
  • Goal
  • Anticipated consequence
  • Products

Cultural

  • Social norms
  • Social values
  • Social beliefs
  • Social sentiments

Consensus

  • Clusters
  • Agreements
  • Contracts
  • Definitions of the situation
  • Uniformities
  • Opinions
  • Conflict
  • Discensus
  • Differential perception
  • Cooperation
  • Homogeniety-heterogeniety
  • Conformity
  • Nonconformity
  • Mutual expectation

Mainline

  • Social control (keeping people in line)
  • Recruitment (getting people in)
  • Socialization (training people for participation)
  • Stratification (sorting people out by criteria which rank them)
  • Status passage (moving people along and getting them through)
  • Social organization (organizing people into groups, aggregates, and divisions of labor)
  • Social order(s) (keeping organization of life working together)
  • Social institution(s) (clusters of cultural ideas)
  • Social interaction(s) (people acting with people)
  • Social world(s) (symbolic surround life)
  • Social mobility(ies) (patterned path of people movement through society)

Theoretical

  • Parsimony
  • Scope
  • Integration
  • Density
  • Conceptual level
  • Relationship to data
  • Relationship to other theory
  • Clarity
  • Fit
  • Relevance
  • Modifiability
  • Unity
  • Condensibility
  • Inductive-deductive
  • Balance and interfeeding
  • Degree of
  • Multivariate structure
  • Use of theoretical codes
  • Interpretive
  • Explanatory
  • Predictive power

Ordering and Elaboration

  • Spatial; structural
  • Temporal
  • Conceptual; generality

Test for ecological fallacy.

Unit

  • Collective
  • Group
  • Nation
  • Organization
  • Aggregate
  • Situation
  • Context
  • Arena
  • Social world
  • Behavioral pattern
  • Territorial units
  • Society
  • Family
  • Positional units
    • status
    • role
    • role relationship
    • status set
    • role set
    • person set
    • role partner

Fractals

Non-measurable aspects of units.

Paired Opposite

Micro – Macro

Halved distribution of size of units.

Symmetry – Asymmetry

Relative balance or out of balance on a dimension.

Reading

  • Concepts
  • Problems
  • Hypotheses

Model

Be constrained in the use.

Cross Pressures

“Abstract model of external conflict put on people by external pressures or conditions.” – Glaser

Isomorphism

Similarity between 2…n theories in a set, where 1…n theories in the set can model other theories in the set.

Asymptote

Getting as close to but not getting there.

Action

Cycling

Going over the same path; sequences of paths over and over again

Moment Capture

Quick interactions critical to optimal outcome.

Autopoisis

“Characteristic of living systems to continuously renew themselves and to regulate the renewal process in such a way that the integrity of their structure is maintained.” – Glaser, The Grounded Theory Perspective III: Theoretical Coding, 26

System Parts

Dependencies for a whole.

Ideal Type

Normative ideal model after-generated and compared-to what is found.

Frames

Socio-cultural perspective fixedness.

Balancing

Strategy involving handling of high-dimensionality using lower-dimensional decision making (ie. dichotomized, trichotomized … n-dimension-against decision making)

Levels

Social Structural

Social Arena

Sphere of action where debate and negotiation take place.

Social Worlds

Property of context.

Social Constraints

Boundary maintaining conditions.