DEBATE 2: Can sociology be value free?

Question 1

Positivists

Answer 1

quantitative, objective, value free, not bias by Rs values

Question 2

Interpretivists

Answer 2

qualitative, subjective, value laden

Question 3

How can the research process be described as value laden?

Answer 3

1- Operationalising key concepts
2- Choosing the topics
3- Interpreting findings
4- Selecting which findings top include
5- choosing a research method

Question 4

Who are the classical sociologists?

Answer 4

1- Comte and Durkheim
2- Karl Marx
3- Weber

Question 5

1- Comte and Durkheim

Answer 5

Positivists, enlightenment view- social facts
- objective, value-free, scientific, systematic

Question 6

2- Karl Marx

Answer 6

• enigma, applied Comte n Durkheim’s objectives (historical materialism)
• not impartial, valued strengths of communism, not objective or value free

Question 7

3- Weber

Answer 7

A contemporary of Comte and Durkheim, however
- values were important, verstehen, social action
- social facts do not tell us the full story

Question 8

How does Weber argue that social facts do not tell us the full story?

Answer 8

Statistics tell us that there are more divorces but they do not tell us why, the persons experience of what or whether or not they are a good or a bad thing

Question 9

What does Weber mean when he said the research process involved both subjective and objective stages?

Answer 9

• use subjective feelings to identify research topic, concepts they believe are relevant
  > carry out research objectively, test hypothesis
• values are important in interpretation, must be aware of bias

Question 10

What did Weber mean when he said that sociologists are citizens with a moral duty in their research?

Answer 10

Said we should not hide behind ‘objectivity and value-freedom’
e.g. Einstein’s theory of relativity aided the development of the atomic bomb but he spoke out against nuclear weapons

Question 11

What is modern positivist research?

Answer 11

Sociologists should reveal facts about people’s behaviour, not praise or condemn it
- as such sociology is value free and scientific
- gives sociology higher status, funding, credibility and prestigue

Question 12

Who criticised modern positivists?

Answer 12

Goulder said that modern positivists are ‘spiritless technicians’

Question 13

What did Goulder mean by the term ‘spiritless technicians’

Answer 13

‘researchers for rent’
- hiring themselves out to gather information for big organisations such as the military, leaving their own values behind
- Think Tanks

Question 14

What do committed sociologists think?

Answer 14

Myrdal- not only impossible to be value-free but it is also undesirable
- says sociologists should be value committed
- they should ‘take sides’

Question 15

What did Goulder mean when he said that sociologists became ‘problem takers’ rather than ‘problem makers?

Answer 15

• supporting businesses to make more money rather than fighting the causes of inequality
• gather information with no moral though or value of the consequences

Question 16

How did Myrdal argue that committed sociologists should take sides?

Answer 16

By embracing he values and interests of particular groups

Question 17

How can feminism and marxism be used as an example for committed sociology?

Answer 17

Without being value-committed, they would not be drawing attention to gender or class inequality

Question 18

How are political values an example of committed sociology?

Answer 18

Many cannot be neutral, committed to an issue
Marxists- do not interpret their research from the POV of the oppressors
- politically aligned, left or right

Question 18

How is feminism an example of committed sociology?

Answer 18

Reinhartz- feminist research should aim to create social change
Mies- researcher should create a special relationship with the research respondent

Question 19

How is Becker and ‘the underdog’ an example of committed sociology?

Answer 19

Time to look at the ‘underdogs’
- positivism is on the side of the ‘overdogs’
- criminals, WC, women, mental patients

Question 20

What do relativists mean by the pluralism of truth?

Answer 20

There is no single over-riding truth as all theories believe that they are right
- every truth from a theory is valid

Question 21

What does Foucalt say we have entered?

Answer 21

An era of anti-foundationalism
- there is no absolute truth in postmodern times
- no foundation to base all ideas on

Question 22

How does the argument of relativism fit in with the debate?

Answer 22

The debate is irrelevant- all ideas ae equally valid
There is no right answer
Useful for some not others

Question 23

How can we challenge postmodernists idea of relativism?

Answer 23

If they claim that there is no single truth or theory of how society works and why people do certain things then how can they claim relativism to be true?