Value freedom & Commitment

remember as many sociologists as you can

Gouldner

Myrdal

fill in

“science is concerned with matters of ____, not ____”

fact not value

finish off

“Gouldner argues that by the 1950’s american sociologist had become …”

spiritualess technicians

what change happened in the 1950’s to sociologists from being problem makers to what?

problem takers who hired themselves to organisations and solve their problems for them

Gouldner argues this:

“By leaving their own values behind, sociology’s we're making gentleman’s promises that they would not rock the boat by criticise their paymasters.”

What does Gouldner mean by "‘gentleman’s promises’?

an unspoken deal with those who fund them

gouldner is saying that as long as the sociologists remained paid by their paymasters, they won’t challenge anything that they say regardless of it's wrong

Goudlner argues that sociologists do this because they are simply ‘hired hands’ and saw their values as irrelevant

Who criticised this? Why?

Weber

argues that sociologists must take moral responsibility for the effects of their work

What does Mydral argue that contrasts with the positivists

argues that sociologists should not only spell out their values, they should also openly take sides by advocating the values and interest of a particular individual or group

what are Gouldner’s 2 views on value free sociology

impossible and undesirable

why does he think it’s impossible

because sociologists or their pay masters are bound to be reflected in their work

why does he think it's undesirable

because without values to guide research, sociologists are seemingly seeking their services to the highest bidder

fill in the blanks

“if sociology is influenced by _____, this means that sociologists must inevitably take ____. By not ______ _ _____, the sociologists is in fact taking the side of the more _________ against the ____ _______

values

sides

choosing a side

powerful

less powerful

Interactionist Becker - what does he argue ?

that values are always present in sociology

what does becker say sociologists should be adopting/doing

adopting a compassionate stance and take the side of the underdogs

“ less is known about these groups and their story needs to be told in order to..,”

re-establish the balance

fill in the blank (hard)

“ _____ and __________ with the _________ and giving them a voice reveals a ______ ___ of _____ _____

siding

identifying

underdogs

hidden side

social reality

Goffman - Mental patients

What does he argue about mental patients

to describe the situation of the mental patient faithfully, we have to take their side and be biased in favour of the mental patient and against the psychiatrist

Who does Gouldner critise and why?

Becker

for taking too much of a romantic and sentimental approach to disadvantaged groups

What perspective does he adopt that influenced his critic? What does he argue

Marxist perspective

argues that sociologists should take the side of those who are ‘fighting back’

fill in the blanks

‘ sociologist should not _______ itself to the viewpoint of the _________ instead it should be committed to ending their _________ by _______ the ways in which the _________ maintain their ________.

confine

underdogs

oppression

unmasking

powerful

position

the body that pays for the research controls what…?

the direction of the research and what questions it asks

why are sociologists in university departments more under pressure to publish research

wide audience and its usefullness

Relativism

ideas and practices can only be understood in relation to the culture and social system in which they exist.

what does relativism argue (3)

• different cultures and groups have different views to what is true as each see the world in their own way through perspectives, values, concepts, and interests

• no independent way of judging whether any view is truer that the other

• no absolute truth, just truth plurals

finish off

‘ different sociological perspectives can be seen as embodying…

different assumptions and values

why can functionalists and interactionist be accused of having a link between sociologists and their stance

give an example to support

because they selecting methods that produce facts that reflect their values and outlook

ex. interpretivists favour qualitative data which suits their desire with empathy

what do postmodernist reject in terms of having a relative view of knowledge

reject the idea that only one account of the social world is superior than the other

what do they say about perspectives that claim to have the truth

is just a meta narrative as all knowledge is based on values and assumptions

what is the paradox of this argument postmodernism makes

if this were true, we shouldn’t listen to what postmodernist perspective says

what is the catch with relativism

its a self defeating

it claims to be telling us something, but simultaneously telling us that no one can say what’s true