Kathy Charmaz

Kathleen Marian Charmaz was an American sociologist, born on August 19, 1939, and died on July 27, 2020, who developed constructivist grounded theory, a qualitative research method that became widely adopted across many academic disciplines and professions. She was professor emerita of sociology at Sonoma State University in Rohnert Park, California, and former director of its Faculty Writing Program, with a background spanning occupational therapy and sociology. Her areas of expertise included grounded theory, symbolic interactionism, chronic illness, death and dying, qualitative health research, sociological theory and the sociology of emotions.