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Are Quantitative Research Methods to Blame for a Growing Irrelevance of Political Science? A Rejoinder to John Trent
Copyright policy )‘Is political science out of step with the world?’ This question, raised by John E. Trent in a recent issue, is part of a recurring debate about the development of our discipline. In that article, and in a subsequent book with his colleague Michael Stein, John Trent blames adherents of the ‘scientific method’ for political science’s growing irrelevance. We challenge this claim by arguing that Trent falls back on outdated polarities between ‘objective and normative’, and ‘explanation and interpretation’, in order to justify his allegation. We argue for the need to review our methods continuously, rather than dig up a fruitless and biased division between qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Microsoft Academic Graph classification: Quantitative research Blame media_common.quotation_subject media_common Environmental ethics Political philosophy Law Comparative politics Allegation Scientific method Sociology Systems theory in political science International relations
Political Science and International Relations
Political Science and International Relations
Microsoft Academic Graph classification: Quantitative research Blame media_common.quotation_subject media_common Environmental ethics Political philosophy Law Comparative politics Allegation Scientific method Sociology Systems theory in political science International relations
- University of Hagen Germany
- University of Ottawa Canada
- University of Hagen Germany
- University of Ottawa Canada
‘Is political science out of step with the world?’ This question, raised by John E. Trent in a recent issue, is part of a recurring debate about the development of our discipline. In that article, and in a subsequent book with his colleague Michael Stein, John Trent blames adherents of the ‘scientific method’ for political science’s growing irrelevance. We challenge this claim by arguing that Trent falls back on outdated polarities between ‘objective and normative’, and ‘explanation and interpretation’, in order to justify his allegation. We argue for the need to review our methods continuously, rather than dig up a fruitless and biased division between qualitative and quantitative approaches.