Grounded Theory Has the Power to Change Lives: A Tribute to Barney Glaser

Abstract

In November 2021, I had a very long late-night phone conversation with 91-year-old Barney Glaser. His eyes were failing and his body was weak, but his mind was sharp and clear. I could hear his wife, Carolyn’s, voice in the background as our conversation waxed and waned. He told me about the next book he was planning to write—a theory on aging. He was keen to talk about grounded theory. As we ruminated, he mentioned some of his favorite theories. He remembered the names of the theories, their core categories, and the theorists—most of whom he had mentored. He reminisced about PhD students who had attended his troubleshooting seminars and about grounded theory colleagues we both knew. In his presence, I felt as if I were still his student. As our conversation was ending, he talked about all the people who had contacted him with letters, phone calls, and emails over the years. He asked, “You know what the concept is, don’t you?” I was silent. “Grounded theory changed my life,” he said. “They all told me that grounded theory changed their lives.” Barney Glaser understood the spread of grounded theory and power of theory to change people’s lives.

Keywords

• barney glaser
• grounded theory
• changing people's lives