Question

Consider the Ute Mountain Utes, a Native American tribe in Colorado. Tourism is a key part of that group's income. Suppose a national economic problem similar to the economic collapse of late 2008 greatly reduced tourism and derived income for this population. Would a grounded theory or a phenomenological approach be the more effective means to understand the influences of that event 5 years later? Why?

Answer 1

Grounded Theory is a systematic method of gathering and analyzing data in order to find answer to a question. Repeated ideas and phenomena are gathered together in order to find the best possible cause for that phenomenon. Phenomenology is the study of subjective experience of whoever experienced a phenomenon. This experience may not be same to people who experienced the same phenomenon.

So, Grounded Theory may be the right fit to study this phenomenon as it would look at the incident with a fresh eye and collect data using multiple sources. Unlike the phenomenology theory, it would analyze the data for any strange phenomenon and then formulate the explanation. Grounded theory doesn’t have any preconceived theories when it starts but relies heavily upon the past and present data to study and conclude. Thus, Grounded Theory would be the best choice.