Methodology and Theory in Sociological Enquiry

Description

When a student enrols into the academic study of sociology, he is told that there is theory and methodology. She is also told that these two are inseparable parts of sociological understanding of society. Throughout her professional socialisation, he is taught sociological theories (critical theory, structural functionalism, functional structuralism, symbolic interactionism etc.) and methodologies in sociology (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methodology, etc.).
However, as much these connections of theory and methodology are desirable, they are hard to find. This presentation draws an argument about theory and methodology in today’s sociology.

Mills (1959) is the first to separate critically grand theory and abstract empiricism. He argues that abstract empiricism, which focused heavily on data collection and statistical analysis, neglected the broader theoretical frameworks necessary for meaningful interpretation, leading to a narrow understanding of social phenomena and disconnection from real-world issues, often overlooking the broader social and historical forces that should be central to sociological research. On the other hand, Mills also critiques grand theory for its tendency to create overly general and abstract concepts that are detached from empirical reality, resulting in theories that are difficult to apply to specific social situations and that often lack practical relevance.

However, since the 1960s there has been big emphasis on structural coupling between science and economy or science and politics. Methodology became something that provided visible outcomes of sociological inquiry. To put it differently, methodology became something useful for these couplings because it could be measured, thus it was perceived as objective. Even qualitative methodologies, which embrace subjectivity, are defined by strict rules and forms that guide the empirical endeavours of sociologists. Therefore, to be successful in publishing and doing sociology, methodology became the imperative. Methodological imperative, as a way of overemphasising, uncritical privileging of research methods, which can result in the neglect of other aspects of research, such as ontological, epistemological, practical, and political considerations related to a research topic, has become mainstream in sociology (methodolatry)

This development led Peter Berger to question the purpose of sociology in today's world. In his essay “Whatever Happened to Sociology?” Berger (2002) criticises the trend of empiricism in sociology, expressing concern about the direction the discipline had taken by emphasising empirical research at the expense of broader theoretical investigations. Berger believes that sociology had become overly focused on methodological rigour, with many sociologists dedicating their work to refining research techniques, statistical methods, and empirical data collection. This focus often comes at the expense of asking meaningful sociological questions and developing deep theoretical insights into social phenomena.
However, methodology has a stricter form then theory. Even in the face of qualitative research and more subjective approach, compared to theoretical programmes, methodology is a systematised set of rules which is applied during the empirical investigation of phenomena. Therefore, it can be argued that inclusion in sociological communication is way easier by focusing on methodology rather than on theory.

Period	24 Jun 2025
Event title	University of Northampton Annual Research Conference 2025: Evidencing Evidence: An Interdisciplinary Approach To The Nature Of Evidence In Research
Event type	Conference
Location	Northampton, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International