This sounds like the qualitative/quantitative "divide" that gets debated in all social sciences. Is it too much to hope that people figure out that all methods are flawed to some degree and the best method is the one that best answers the question(s) you're asking?

The real wank comes in when you factor in the government, specifically the Department of Education, where the gold standard of research is quantitative. Or if you want to work outside academia and all businesses want are numbers to justify doing things a particular way.