Quantifying Theory: Pierre Bourdieu (Paperback, Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2009)

The proposed book will assemble a selection of essays that quantify the theories of Pierre Bourdieu. Our purpose is simply to provide a collection of academic pieces that demonstrate how quantitative methodological procedures are used to test the validity of existing social theory, focusing on the prominent sociologist, Pierre Bourdieu. We have chosen Bourdieu due to his international popularity in the sociology discipline, and the extensive range of his theoretical contributions.

Demonstrating the importance of quantifying, or testing, theory is frequently overlooked in university courses. Too often the sole focus is either an exploration social theory or a routine of performing quantitative methodological procedures. Students seldom receive exposure to practical applications that clearly illustrate the use of the latter to test the former. The unfortunate consequence is that students often fail to grasp the vital relationship between theory and methods, which is the basis of future sociological research.

The majority of single author sociological methods books exist in the form of undergraduate texts. Because sociologists are versed in the basics of quantitative and qualitative methodology, solo academics can reasonably author introductory texts that glean the necessary basics of both quantitative and qualitative methods. However, the same is not true of providing adequate intermediate and advanced level methodological instruction.

There is a considerable market for edited volumes of qualitative methodology. The practical benefit of such collections both for instructors and students is a selection of diverse topics in which researchers devote considerable attention to specific qualitative procedures. In short, an assortment of contributors can better provide intensive applications of different qualitative procedures that address unique research questions, and in a variety of settings. The end product typically incorporates a useful breadth of sociological topics, but with the requisite methodological depth (i.e. attention to procedure and depth of analysis) that is otherwise difficult for any single author to accomplish. To date, edited volumes of qualitative research are abundant, while similar quantitative compilations are rare."