Interpretive Grounded Theory: Limits and chances within the breadth of GT approaches

Since Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss first described Grounded Theory (GT) in the 1960s, this research perspective has been further developed into different directions by the two scholars themselves and furthermore by their students and following generations of scholars. The ontological, epistemological, and methodological positions within GT approaches vary significantly: From positivist, objectivist stances to interpretive, reflexive thinking one might find a plethora of argumentations of this research perspective. Yet another important angle is how GT is understood by the thousands of students and scholars using Grounded Theory according to their self-descriptions. It thus does not come as a surprise, that – from outside of the rather small circle of academics publishing on GT philosophical and methodological stances in order to advance GT – the interpretive character of some GT branches is usually overlooked. This chapter will thus concentrate on the interpretive developments within Grounded Theory, its promises and possible limitations.