OBJECTIVITY and VALUES

Question 1

POSITIVISTS and VALUE FREEDOM

Answer 1

Believe that the study of society should not be the a matter of subjective values or personal opinions about what is best. Instead it should focus on uncovering the truth about how society works and uncovering the laws governing its proper
function. In order to do this sociologists should stay objective and value free so that they could say with scientific certainty what
is best for society and they would be able to prescribe how things should be.

Question 2

COMMITTED SOCIOLOGY

Answer 2

desirable for sociologists to use their VALUES to IMPROVE SOCIETY through their work

GOULDNER:
Value free sociology is both impossible and undesirable. It is IMPOSSIBLE because a sociologists OWN VALUES or those of their PAYMASTERS (government) are INEVITABLY going to be REFLECTED in their research. UNDESIRABLE since WITHOUT VALUES to GUIDE their research sociologists are simply SELLING to the THEIR SERVICES TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.

BECKER:
argues that it is INEVITABLE that sociologists TAKE SIDES and that they should take the side of the UNDERDOG rather than that of the POWERFUL. Partly
because LESS IS KNOWN about these groups and their stories need to be told in order to REDRESS THE BALANCE.
eg EMPATHISING with MENTAL PATIENTS

FEMINISTS:
conduct their research entirely based on their values and political opinions. They argue that sociology should be driven by the desire to make society better and should be used to expose the injustice of patriarchy.

Question 3

VALUE LADEN sociology

Answer 3

Gomm argues that ‘a value free
Sociology is impossible… the very idea is
unsociological’. He argues that Sociologists react to
political, economic and social events – and what is
seen as a political or social ‘issue’, a social
‘problem’ is dependent on the power of different
groups to define and shape reality – to define what
is worthy of research. Consequently, it is just as
important to look at what sociologists do not
investigate as what they do – Sociologists are not
necessarily immune to ideological hegemony

THREE area where SOCIOLOGY CANNOT BE VALUE FREE:
1.CHOICE OF TOPIC–
can be SUBJECTED not only to the VALUES of the
researcher but also by those in POLITICAL POWER
2. FUNDING: sources of funding CONTROL the DIRECTION the research takes, sociologist may embody the values of their PAYMASTERS
3. METHODOLOGY: CHOICE of METHOD can
be INFLUENCED by the PERSPECTIVE STANCE OF RESEARCHERS. eg INTERACTIONISTS PREFER METHODS THAT EMPATHISE WITH THE UNDERDOGS.

Question 4

WEBER

Answer 4

Sociology cannot be COMPLETELY VALUE FREE but there are ELEMENTS which can be. He makes a DISTINCTION
between FACTS (can be proven or disproven by evidence) and VALUE JUDGEMENTS (cannot be proven or disproven.

SOCIOLOGY CAN BE VALUE FREE: DATA COLLECTION and HYPOTHESIS TESTING-should be OBJECTIVE and
UNBIASED, SHOULD NOT be ASKING LEADING QUESTIONS and RESPONDENTS’ ANSWERS SHOULD REFLECT THEOR OWN VIEWS. WEBER states that an HYPOTHESIS must
STAND SOLELY on whether it FITS the OBSERVED FACTS.

SOCIOLOGY CANNOT BE VALUE FREE: CHOICE OF TOPIC– Values play an important role in selecting the area of research as it is a reflection on what they feel is important and worthy of study. INTERPRETATION OF DATA – facts need to have a
theoretical framework so that it is possible to see the
significance of the data and draw conclusions. This
framework will be based around individual values and
beliefs.