Debate 3 - Can and should you carry out research without allowing values to influence

Question 1

What are the three views on whether research can be done with or without values influencing it

Answer 1

Value freedom
Value-laden
Committed sociology

Question 2

What is the defintion of values

Answer 2

Beliefs, opinions and prejudices, things you view as important
Influenced by many factors including social class, gender ethnicity, upbringing and experiences

Question 3

What is Value freedom

Answer 3

Research should have no values involved (free from values)
Early positivists argue:
Sociological research is no different from that of physical science
Influenced by the enlightenment period - only improve society by establishing social facts
Social facts can only be uncovered through value freedom and quantitative methods for the researched to remain detatched

Question 4

Which perspective would we clasify as a perspective with the value freedom belief and why

Answer 4

Marxism - believed that his analysis of society was objective and scientific
Believed society would evolve overtime, leading to communist society
Saw his role as revealing truth of this development

Question 5

What are the main 3 evaluation points of value freedom

Answer 5

Being value free is impossible: sociologists own perspective will be reflected in the work
Being value free is undesireable: positivists are ‘problem-takers’ - simply conducting research on behalf of organisations and failing to criticise their paymasters
Interpretivism: cannot and should not bee value free - no such thing as ‘social facts’ and should gain verstehen instead

Question 6

What is webers value-laden

Answer 6

Agrees with positivists to an extent- when carrying out research itself, researcher should and can be objective and value free
BUT values have an essential role in 3 stages - choosing topic, interpreting data and using findings
Researchers should declare their values so others can judge if bias is present

Question 7

What are the 4 stages of research and which one is where it should be value free (Weber value-laden)

Answer 7

1) Choosing what to study
2) Collecting data and testing hypothesis (objective and value free)
3) Interpreting the data/ drawing conclusion
4) Using data to make changed to society

Question 8

What iss meant by Funding research as a catagory under value-laden

Answer 8

The values of the funding body may influence research:
Those paying will influence method choice and questions due to having a reason for the research (gov prefer official stats)
Funding bodies can block publication if research is unacceptable
Philo and Miller: all researchers are being silenced because the bodies funding them want research done on topics that benefit them
Researcher benefits financially to do as body suggests

Question 8

What are the 4 catagories under value-laden

Answer 8

Stages to research
Funding
Career Trajectories
Perspectives

Question 9

What is meant by Career Trajectories as a catagory under value-laden

Answer 9

Gouldner: personal career ambitions of sociologists - values of those in charge of a promotion will influence the research
Kuhn: some researchers may feel pressured into accpeting the dominant paradigm
May choose ‘fashionable’ topics and avoid studying those that are less desireable to protect reputation

Question 10

What is meant by perspectives as a catagory under value-laden

Answer 10

Some perspectives say that they are objectives, critics say they will inevitabily influence the topic and the method:

Functionalist: belief in consensus may result on the positive view on functions of institutions - uncritically accept gov stats

Marxists: belief in conflict may result in research on class and conflict

Interpretivists: (sociology cannot/should not be value free)
view society as a social construct leads to qualitative methods to understand meaning - methods require interpretation whihc relies on values

Question 11

What is the definition of committed sociology

Answer 11

It is not desireable to be value free
Sociology is a tool for change - researchers should use values to ‘pick a side’ and improve society

Question 12

What are all the 3 catagories/ arguement under sociology should be as committed sociology

Answer 12

Becker - underdog
Goldner - middledog
Feminism

Question 13

What is Beckers under dog as a catagory for committed sociology

Answer 13

Sociology is responsible to support the underdog: little known about these groups and so a new dimension of society can be uncovered
Through qualitative methods which is subjective: give a voice to marginalised groups - reveal the meaning
Sociology is influenced by values as people choose a side - by not choosing, the sociologist takes the side of the more powerful

Question 14

What is Goldners middle dog as a catagory for committed sociology

Answer 14

Agrees with becker BUT by taking under dogs side - puts blame on middle dogs who dont have much power - social worker, police
Sociologists need to commit studying to really powerful (top dog)

Question 15

What did Althusser say about research being for committed sociology

Answer 15

agreed that the aim of research should be to bring down the rick and powerful capitalist people

Question 16

Under the catagory of Feminism, what does Spender argue for committed sociology

Answer 16

Research should support the underdog but argues it is men that dominate society not the ruling class

Question 17

What did Hammersley argue about feminism for commited sociology

Answer 17

Rejects objectivity and value freedom
Feminism is influenced by the belief - women are subordinate and sociology is typically malestream
Research should be committed to free women from oppression
Done by choosing methods that give women aa voice - qualitative methods which are subjective and reflect those than reinforcing patriarchy and impose researchers meaning

Question 18

What study done by a femist is an example for research to be committed to gaining verstehn and be subject to free women from oppression

Answer 18

Oakley ‘The sociology of housework’ study
Use values to overcome power inbalance

Question 19

What is the evaluation for committed sociology

Answer 19

Committed sociology runs the risk of producing soicology that is a little more personal opinion - personal ideology may distort interpretations which will reduce the validity

Question 20

What is the ‘Postmodernist relativist view of knowledge’

Answer 20

All knowledge is relative
People have different views as to what is true
One version of truth is npt true as truth os based on values - it is a metanarrative

Question 21

What is the evaluation for the ‘Postmodernist relativist view of knowledge’

Answer 21

Contradictory - does that not mean post mdernists view is also a meta narrative