The Practical Use of Awareness Theory

• Main Authors: Barney G. Glaser, PhD, Hon. PhD, Anselm L. Strauss
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sociology Press 2015-12-01
• Series: Grounded Theory Review: An International Journal
• Subjects: awareness theory; awarness of dying; grounded theory; formal theory
• Online Access: http://groundedtheoryreview.com/2015/12/19/the-practical-use-of-awareness-theory/

In this chapter we shall discuss how our substantive sociological theory has been developed in order to facilitate applying it in daily situations of terminal care by sociologists, by doctors and nurses, and by family members and dying patients. The application of substantive sociological theory to practice requires developing a theory with (at least) four highly interrelated properties. (As we have demonstrated in this book and will discuss explicitly in the next chapter, a theory with these properties is also very likely to contribute to formal—i.e., general—sociological theory.) The first requisite property is that the theory must closely fit the substantive area in which it will be used. Second, it must be readily understandable by laymen concerned with this area. Third, it must be sufficiently general to be applicable to a multitude of diverse, daily situations within the substantive area, not just to a specific type of situation. Fourth, it must allow the user partial control over the structure and process of the substantive area as it changes through time. We shall discuss each of these closely related properties and briefly illustrate them from our book to show how our theory incorporates them, and therefore why and how our theory can be applied in terminal care situations.