Dissertation - World Federation of Music Therapy

that all participants addressed themes related to the meaning and outcome of the
therapy. This will be further discussed in the following systematic content analysis
that is undertaken as a grounded theory based investigation of how the participants
described the experience and outcome of the BMGIM therapy. Three of the themes
from the guide – “Filling out the questionnaires”, “Potential of GIM in other phases of
cancer treatment” and “Weekly/Biweekly sessions” will not be included in the
analysis of this chapter, as they are concerned with participants’ reflections on setting
and design and not with the experience of the therapeutic process. However, these
issues and the material will be included in the discussion chapter (9).
The second step was systematically processing the data through open and axial coding
(see chapter 4), focusing on the meaning and outcomes of the music therapy as
experienced and expressed spontaneously by the participants. This method is what the
originators of Grounded Theory, Glaser and Strauss, called a ’constant comparative’
process (Glaser and Strauss 1967 as quoted in Tesch 1990, p. 86): the researcher looks
for significant similarities, differences, and patterns in the data material. I used colour
codes to indicate the themes from the interview guide and then split the themes into
meaning units or statements 51 . In this initial open coding (sub)categories were
identified, based on properties like outcome description (types of outcome),
elaboration of meaning (types of meaning), music description, and imagery
description. Dimensionalization within categories could be generic, i.e. negative vs.
positive effect, insight oriented vs. experiential, or more descriptive, i.e. enigmatic vs.
clear.
Examples of these initial categories drawn from the open coding are: Music therapy
provides tools (for coping) – Improved self confidence – Stabilization of psyche –
Finding strength – Changing focus for the future – Not scared by death any more –
Music gives access to resources – Music is moving.
“Once concepts begin to accumulate the analyst should begin the process of grouping
them or categorizing them” (Strauss and Corbin 1995). This process is the axial
51 I considered using qualitative computer analysis software for the analysis, e.g. the NUD*IST
package (Robson p. 497), however, I thought the material was manageable in a manual analysis, and I
had done this type of analysis before, when software was not avilable (see Jespersen 1987).
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