factors affecting value freedom

how does funding & careers affect value freedom?

• controls direction of research + questions they ask

• work embodies the values/interests of paymasters

• funding bodies can block publication

• sociologists may want to further careers so pick something in fashion

• can’t be too controversial

• university departments are under pressure to publish research

who tends to fund sociological research?

• government departments

• businesses

• voluntary organisations

how do perspectives & methods affect value freedom?

different perspectives embody different assumptions and values so it influences their topics, concepts developed, conclusions and method choice

what values do feminists have?

• society is based on gender inequality

• promotes rights of women

what values do functionalists have?

• society is harmonious

• espouses conservative values that favour the status quo

what values do marxists have?

• society is conflict ridden

• strive for classlessness

who do positivists tend to take the side of?

the establishment

what is relativism?

different groups, cultures & individuals have different views as to what is true so there is no independent way of judging whether any view is more true than the other

what do all sociologists agree on?

different groups see the world in their own way

what kind of view of knowledge do postmodernists take?

relativist - there are no privileged accounts that have special access to the truth, all views are meta-narratives

how is relativism paradoxical?

if all knowledge is based on values and assumptions, then relativism is self defeating

what are the criticisms of relativism?

there is a real factual world e.g., women DO do more housework, ethnic background does affect a person’s life chances

what values are there in the research process?

• choosing a topic

• choosing a method

• choosing pps

• choosing questions

• finding funding

• finding a publisher

• analysing daya

• operationalising key concepts