The Methodological Impact of Feminism: A Troubling Issue for Sociology?

• Published in: Sociology (Oxford) Vol. 45; no. 4; pp. 570 - 586
• Main Authors: Cohen, Rachel Lara, Hughes, Christina, Lampard, Richard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.08.2011; Sage Publications; Sage Publications Ltd; Cambridge University Press
• Subjects: Academic discipline; Academic disciplines; Benchmark tests; Documentary analysis; Epistemology; Females; Feminism; Feminist literary theory; Feminist theory; Gender studies; History, theory and methodology; Influence; Interdisciplinary aspects; Methodology; Quantitative analysis; Quantitative statistical methods; Research methodology; Research methods; Social research; Sociological methodology; Sociology; Sociology of the family. Age groups; Studies; U.S.A; United Kingdom; United States of America; Violence against women; Woman social status. Women's emancipation; Women's studies; Womens studies; United Kingdom > UK; women’s studies; feminism; British sociology; documentary analysis; quantitative methods; Feminism; Methodology; Quantitative research; Comparison; Sociology; women's studies
• DOI: 10.1177/0038038511406599
• ISSN: 0038-0385

As British sociology seeks to overcome a historical distaste for quantitative research methods, one of the discipline's most dynamic sub-fields may prove troublesome. Feminist research thrives both within and outside sociology. As such it provides new insights and enriches the discipline, something recognized by the 2010 Benchmarking Review of Sociology. Yet feminist research has long been associated with an antipathy towards quantitative methods. This article explores the extent to which this persists. Methodological patterns in articles from 19 journals in the interdisciplinary field of 'women's studies' are analysed. Perhaps surprisingly, a large proportion of articles employed quantitative methods. Those engaged with feminist literature or epistemologies were, however, unlikely to be quantitative. This article also highlights the importance of national contexts, suggesting perhaps we should not ask why UK research is so qualitative, but why US research is so quantitative.