Debate- Value Free Flashcards
What is value freedom?
An approach to research which is not biased by a researchers values
An objective approach
What is objectivity?
Remain detached, not letting our own values influence your approach
Following a scientific approach looking for social facts
What is subjectivity?
Being influenced by values, opinions or emotions
What is value laden?
The values are influence reaserch
-Choosing topic, obtaining funding, choosing a reaserch method, operationalising key concepts, recording responses, interpreting findings, selecting which data to include in a report and deciding what do do with a report
Positivists view on value free sociology?
-Social facts
-Feelings can’t be measured so can’t be studied (value free)
-Need to establish a cause and effect relationship, also repeatable
-Quantitative methods like questionaires, statistics and structured interviews
-Objective
Interpretivist view of value free?
-Feelings need to be studied to see why people behave the way they do in everyday situations
-Gain verstehan
-People act due to interpretations and meanings
-Qualitative data so subjective, rejecting value free
-Documents, unstructured interviews and experiments
Who are our classic sociologists?
Compte
Emile Durkheim
Karl Marx
Max Weber
Compte and Durkheim view on value free sociology?
Both positivists
Share an enlightenment view that a better society can be produced by studying it and objective, value free, scientific and systematic manner
Karl Marx’s view on value free?
-Value free, objective and scientific into capatalism and different classes
Argued there was a linear development from feaudalist society to capatalost
-Capitalism’s alienates the w/c causing a w/c revolt so therefore would be replaced by communism
Karl Marx- arguments to say he isn’t value free?
Values the strengths of communism taking for granted that its ideal, this is him expressing his values and ultimately favouring the prolatariet, if this was value free he would have no favourites
-Also wrote the communist manifest ‘workers of the world unite’
Webers view of value free?
Disagreed with ‘positivists Value free’ as he believes values are essential
-Believed in social action theory’s like symbolic interactionalism and interpretivism
-Social facts ultimately can’t tell us the whole story, for example, statistics can tell us that there are more divorces but they don’t tell us why or tell us peoples experiences or tell us weather the trend is good or bad
-We need versthean
Weber- Can there be objective and subjectivity in the research process?
Yes
Subjective- at the start of reaserch when sociologist chooses what to study e.g. feminists do oppression of women
Objective- carrying out the reaserch, use data to reject or accept the hypothesis
Subjective- Values are important when concluding findings as they can be bias
Weber- what is citizens with moral duty?
Despite sociology having a very real effect on peoples lives, sociologists ignore possible effects of ther reasercher arguing its there job to discover facts
-Weber ultimately disagreed saying that sociologists are citizens and have a moral duty to consider the consequences of their work, we can’t hide behind objectivity
For example, Einsteins aided the development of the atomic bomb even though he spoke against atomic weponds
Modern positivists?
Sociologists should revere facts about peoples behaviour, not praise or condemn it
-Sociology is scientific and value free giving sociology higher status credibility prestige and funding
-Sociology became problem taker rather than problem makers
Modern positivists- Gouldner and spiritless technicians?
By the 1950s American sociologist had become spiritless technicians
This means that the reaserchers are just being higher end for rent to grant information forr originations like business or the military
-Taking on peoples problems rather than creating problems for powerful people reaserch into business instead of fighting for inequality
