In Their Words: Mainland Puerto Rican Poetry, Grounded Theory, and the Generation of Culturally Sensitive Social Work Knowledge

ABSTRACT In a grounded-theory study of poetry by mainland Puerto Ricans, a vivid picture of their identity emerges, an identity proudly ethnocultural yet oppressed. This paper presents the method of grounded theory, and the findings of that study, and argues that similar analysis of the literatures of all ethnocultural groups is a valid and powerful means for extending social work knowledge.