Is Research Possible? A rejoinder to Tooley's 'On School Choice and Social Class'

• Published in: British journal of sociology of education Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 575 - 586
• Main Authors: Ball, Stephen J., Gewirtz, Sharon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 01.12.1997; Carfax Publishing Co; Taylor and Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Children; Educational Reform; Educational Research; Educational sociology; Educational vouchers; Family (Sociological Unit); Fathers; Formal dances; Ideology; Interviews; Methodological Problems; Middle class; Parental choice; Parents; Privatization; Qualitative Methods; Qualitative Research; Relationship; Research papers; Research studies; School Choice; Secondary schools; Semi Structured Interviews; Social Class; Social classes; Social Differences; Sociology; Sociology of education. Educational systems. Lifelong education; Sociology of education; School; Choice; Qualitative Analysis; Methodology; Education; Parent; Ideology; Data collection; Criticism; Sampling; Educational institution
• ISSN: 0142-5692; 1465-3346
• DOI: 10.1080/0142569970180406

This paper presents a response to some criticisms by James Tooley of our research on parental choice. The paper argues that many of Tooley's criticisms are based on systematic misinterpretations and misreadings of our work, ignorance of the procedures of qualitative research and the use of untenable speculations about sampling, data collection and the interpretation of data. It is suggested that Tooley's criticisms are ideologically driven and that if taken seriously would make qualitative social research impossible.