title: The importance of symbolic interaction in grounded theory research on women's health.
abstract: A variety of grounded theory studies are presented in this issue of Health Care for Women International that attend to different factors and situations impacting women's health. In this paper I will provide the basic principles of symbolic interactionism (SI) for the reader unfamiliar with the conceptual underpinnings of the grounded theory research method. I will discuss why SI is a fitting perspective for use in the study of women, women's perspectives, and women's health. I will conclude with a brief discussion of challenges to researchers maintaining the symbolic interaction perspective in grounded theory research.
authors.affiliation: McMaster University School of Nursing, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. crooksd@fhs.mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Crooks
mesh_terms: D000884:Anthropology, Cultural; D004645:Empathy; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D019513:Feminism; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008016:Life Change Events; D016294:Models, Nursing; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research / Q000379:methods*; D009742:Nursing Theory; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012107:Research Design; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012962:Sociology, Medical; D013561:Symbolism; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D016387:Women's Health