Research Methods 4 - Value Free Sociology?

Question 1

Arguments that sociology is value free?

Answer 1

Comte and Durkheim were modernists and like to think sociology is objective to help society
Marx believed he was a scientist and believed objective research could help society
Weber stated it was impossible to separate values from study, but he believed in objectivity in data collection

Question 2

Arguments that a value free sociology isn’t possible?

Answer 2

Positivists were not objective and most research is contradictory e.g. Marxist take for granted value of communist society. All state no distinction between facts revealed by science and values we should hold.
Weber, no direct relationship from fact to value judgement, so conclusions would be based o researchers values. Values also guide what people would study e.g. feminism
Values are needed when people are interpreting researchers data’s and ideas so people can make judgements about their interpretation e.g. feminism and oppression
Weber, researchers cannot avoid moral and political issues raised by their work and must take responsibility as a citizen e.g. Einstein spoke out against nuclear weapons, but his theories made it possible
Neutral research isn’t possible as even the method chosen reflects values of researcher

Question 3

Arguments that value free sociology is desirable?

Answer 3

Modern positivists believe they are establishing the truth and how behaviour and everything is

Question 4

Arguments against value free sociology’s desirability?

Answer 4

Contemporary Marxists, Feminists and interactionists argue ‘committed sociology’ where the researcher says the importance of their values in their research
Positivists and sociology as science is because they wanted respect from natural scientists
Gouldner (1975) shift from ‘problem takers’ to ‘problem makers’ as research is funded by organisations whos problems they are meant to solve (better for organisation not society potentially e.g. thalidomide)
Becker (1970) and Myrdal (1969) bias necessary to help people e.g. underdogs (Becker) and stop info from being sold to highest bidder (Myrdal)

Question 5

Post-modernist view on value free sociologies?

Answer 5

Rejected the argument and believe there’s no one perspective that has the truth. They believe in ‘plurality’ - if no one argument is reliable this would be unhappy for positivists, and all bigger theories e.g. Marxism is a meta-narrative. Instead sociology has to go forward despite the infighting and combine research approaches that work for and against the researchers bias

Question 6

Criticism of the belief value free sociology is desirable?

Answer 6

Criticism of Becker and Myrdal - funding necessary to continue research, usually from big corporations