The seminar was organised by Ulrika Sandén and her advisers Dr. Lars Harrysson at the School of Social Work and Associate Professor Hans Thulesius, from the Faculty of Medicine, Lund University. After an introduction by Dr. Barry Gibson, a senior lecturer in medical sociology at the University of Sheffield, Ulrika gave a presentation based on her Master's thesis, which she defended at the School of Social Work last fall.
Dr Gibson writes in an email: ”When Ulrika offered to talk about her Master's thesis I was personally delighted. Not only because it would be our first seminar and would mark a next step in the development of the group, but also because I have a deep running affection for Lund and of course Malmö. I have visited the city several times. I was very pleased to hear that grounded theory work was happening in Lund and really happy to see the Master's thesis on such an interesting subject.”
Grounded theory is an approach in which data is alternately collected and analysed. In this way theories that are completely grounded in empirical data emerge. Ulrika Sandén's thesis deals with everyday contentment and the Polar Fjord area in northern Norway. In her text she describes grounded theory as "a means and an attempt to from the bottom up, without any preconceptions or previous theories, try to understand the specific mechanisms of the area." The seminar has given Ulrika valuable international contacts for her continued research.
More information
Read an introduction to Ulrika's research in English, here.
If you are interested in participating in current and future discussions and/or seminars on Grounded Theory, contact Ulrika ulrika [dot] sanden [at] telia [dot] com
Or, Lars Harrysson at the School of Social Work. lars [dot] harrysson [at] soch [dot] lu [dot] se