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Sociology
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Does British Sociology Count?

Sociology Students' Attitudes toward Quantitative Methods

Malcolm Williams

University of Plymouth, malcolm.williams{at}plymouth.ac.uk

Geoff Payne

University of Newcastle, geoff.payne{at}newcastle.ac.uk

Liz Hodgkinson

University of Plymouth, liz.hodgkinson{at}plymouth.ac.uk

Donna Poade

University of Plymouth, donna.poade{at}plymouth.ac.uk

The research reported here is from the first national survey of British undergraduate attitudes to the methodological character of the discipline and specifically to quantitative methods.The study found that most sociology students saw their subject as closer to the humanities than the sciences. However, whilst as anticipated many students expressed anxiety about quantitative methods and `number', a slight majority nevertheless expressed no such anxiety. The methodological issue for sociology is perhaps less to do with a numeric deficit and more to do with a lack of student interest in the use of quantitative methods. It may be concluded that the views held by present undergraduates do not augur well for a methodologically pluralist discipline in the future, or more generally for key numeric and analytic skills sociology graduates can bring to other professions and occupations.

Key Words: methodological pluralism • numeracy • quantitative methods • science • sociology curriculum

Sociology, Vol. 42, No. 5, 1003-1021 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0038038508094576
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