Higher Education Research and Sociological Imagination

Theoretical and Methodological Problems in the Sociology of Higher Education Today

Abstract

　 Nowadays, there is a tendency for many higher education studies in Japan to be strongly colored by implications for higher education policies or practices. It is true that this tendency is not itself problematic. However, if it becomes too strong, it creates a context in which we cannot necessarily make full use of sociological imagination in higher education studies. In particular, two concepts that make it difficult to use sociological imagination are “grand term” and “popularized empiricism”, both of which are analogies of ideas of C. W. Mills.

　 “Grand term”, which seems at a glance to have the potential to help us grasp many worldwide problems, is in fact an abstract and theoretically poorly developed current term, which causes us to stop thinking and acts as a barrier to our use of sociological imagination. And as for “popularized empiricism”, although it gives the appearance of being empirical while lacking methodological rigor, it too paralyzes our sense of reality by its superficially persuasive appeal to numbers.

　 With a view to solving these problems, this paper suggests, from a theoretical perspective, that an effective measure would be the formation of links between higher education studies and sociological theories, and that more use should be made of sociological notions in higher education studies. The paper also suggests, from a methodological perspective, that increased effort should be put into more minute sampling strategies and that a useful tool is comprehensive research that combines panel surveys and qualitative methods.