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.