objectivity and values Flashcards
it is possible to be value free - the sociologists
Durkheim
Comte
Marx
it is not possible to be value free - the sociologists (committed sociology)
Becker
Gouldner
it is and it isn’t possible to be value free - the sociologists
Weber
Gouldner AO2
‘all sociologists possess domain assumptions’
male sociologists may unconsciously decide the dominance of a patriarchal culture.
e.g Parsons believed that there were distinct gender roles within the family which were the product of biology.
Becker Ao3
Gouldner criticises Becker for being too romantic and sentimental towards disadvantaged groups.
Instead, he adopts a Marxist perspective that sociologists should take the side of those ‘fighting back’ the political radical struggling to change society
value free - positivist - Durkheim
by discovering the truth about how society works, sociologists would be able to say objectively and with scientific certainty what was really best for society
Positivist - Durkheim - AO3
feminism support - sociology should be driven by the desire to make society better and should be used to expose the injustice of patriarchy.
value free - positivist - comte
Saw sociology as ‘queen of the sciences’
Saw sociologists as latter-day priests of a new scientific religion of truth
value free - positivist - marx
Sees science as helping to deliver the good society
Historical analysis to reveal the line of development of human society
This development involved an evolution through types of class-based society, leading to a future class-less communist society
Marxism’s job to reveal the truth and overthrow capitalism
value free - positivist - weber
Identified 4 stages of research
In stage 2: data collection allows for value-freedom
Once we have gathered facts, we can use them to test our hypothesis – must keep our values out of the process - the hypothesis must stand or fall solely on whether it fits the observed facts
committed sociology - impossible and undesirebale to be value free - Gouldner
By leaving their values behind sociologists were making a ‘gentlemen’s promise’ that they would not rock the boat by criticising their paymasters
either the sociologist’s own values or their paymasters are going to influence
without values to guide research sociologists are just selling their services to the highest bidder
all sociologists possess domain assumptions, a world view into which they have been unconsciously socialised by their culture and which may seep into their research.
committed sociology - impossible and undesirebale to be value free - becker
values are always present
sociology should take a compassionate stance and take the side of the underdogs - because less is known about these groups - can give them a voice
For feminists these are women.
For Marxists this is the working class
committed sociology - impossible and undesirebale to be value free - Gomm
Whoever controls the funding for research controls the values.
Some sociologists may censor their own work because they wish to avoid upsetting those in power who could harm their career prospects
weber - cant be value free
Stage 1: choosing a research topic
Values are essential in enabling us to select which aspects of reality to study.
Stage 4: putting the findings to use
Sociologists must take moral responsibility for the harm their research may do
cant be value free Ao3 support
funding
the body that pays for the research controls the direction it takes - so the sociologist’s work embodies the values and interests of their paymasters
cant be value free - perspectives
different perspectives have different assumptions and values about how society is
e.g
feminism: sees society as based on gender inequality and promotes rights of women
functionalism: sees society as harmonious
relativism Ao3 support for value free
there is no independent way of judging whether any view is truer than any other
there is no absolute or objective truth
what you believe is true, is true for you
postmodernism Ao3 support for value free
relativist view
Reject the idea that one account is superior to another – there are no ‘privileged accounts’
Any account that claims to be true is just a meta-narrative or a ‘big story’
All knowledge is based on values and assumptions and thus no perspective has any special claim to be true
interpretivists as ao3 for value freedom
they believe the closer a researcher
can get t o a group, the more valid the data collected will be
- verstehen
booth and Rwontree as ao3 against value freedom
they aimed not only to descirbe the extent of poverty in East London but also to propose remedies based on their own values to rid society of poverty
