An emerging ethnographic grounded theory of moral-soul injury: Perspectives of former activists of the liberation struggle in South Africa

Abstract

This article presents the second cycle coding of the research on the ethnographic grounded theory of moral and soul injury. The research problem pertains to the question: What is the consequence of the trauma or moral injury being inflicted upon ordinary South African citizens as a result of socio-political hegemonic systems? The ethnographic grounded theory and coding as an analytical method informed and guided the research project. The research sample consists of 11 former liberation activists and 11 third-year students at a South African university. Effective and theoretical coding shaped the final analysis of the various codes.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research result reveals a high level of moral- and soul-injurious trauma in South Africa.