A Brush with Research: Teaching Grounded Theory in the Art and Design Classroom

Abstract

Grounded Theory is a systematic approach to social research that allows for new concepts and theories to emerge from gathered data, as opposed to relying on either established theory or personal conjecture to interpret social processes. Although Grounded Theory is a well-known method within social science literature, it is relatively unknown in art and design literature, even though it is useful for developing social context and human empathy. In recent years, the model has gained relative credibility in many other disciplines, offering potential advantages for interdisciplinary scenarios. This paper provides a detailed review of Grounded Theory from an educational perspective, and then concludes with some proposed pedagogical methods for art and design based practices.