Values and Ethics

VALUE-FREE SOCIOLOGY:

• Positivists believe sociology should follow methodology of the natural sciences – part of this is objectivity.

• Believe statistics obtained by surveys and official statistics are ‘social facts’ and they’re objective and accurate.

• O’Connell Davidson and Layder – personal biases and political opinions of researchers are irrelevant as long as research is well-designed and there’s no attempt to distort or alter findings.

• Final check for objectivity comes from publication, methodologies must be stated – read and possibly criticised by other researchers.

SOCIOLOGY AND VALUE-LADEN HISTORICAL CONTEXT:

• Weber traditionally been associated with idea that personal and political values should be excluded from research.

• Gouldner claims that Weber was writing at a time when the Prussian (now German) government was making a strong attack on intellectual freedom.

• Gouldner believes Weber claimed sociology was value-free to prevent government interference.

SOCIOLOGY AND VALUE-LADEN PAYING FOR RESEARCH:

• Someone has to pay for research and have a reason.

• Sociologists working for government usually have to sign an agreement to say that publication can be prevented if the department doesn’t like the findings.

• Philo and Miller: scientists may benefit financially from certain outcomes and lose out if some outcomes are uncovered.

• Scientists allow findings to be manipulated by public relations companies, operating for the benefit of the funders – even when the findings don’t necessarily support funders’ claims.

SOCIOLOGY AND VALUE-LADEN CAREER TRAJECTORIES:

• Gouldner states all sociologists have personal ambitions and career goals.

• Desires can intrude either knowingly or subconsciously into their research activities.

• Kuhn: this involves accepting the dominant ‘paradigms’ at any particular time within sociology.

SOCIOLOGY AND VALUE-LADEN PERSONAL BELIEFS AND INTERESTS:

• Ultimately all thoughts and actions are based on particular set of reasons.

• Best to do is make values clear to readers of the research.

• Sociologists are drawn to certain areas based on their beliefs.

• Ken Plummer made it clear his own sexual preference encouraged him to become interested in gay issues.

SOCIOLOGY AND VALUE-LADEN THE DOMAIN OF SOCIOLOGY:

• Has academic status.

• Dismisses non-orthodox research, e.g parapsychology.

• Can leave some sociological issues, e.g environmental or ‘green’ sociology on the periphery.

SOCIOLOGY AND VALUE-LADEN THE POSTMODERN CRITIQUE:

• Dispute the assertion rational thinking based upon verifiable evidence is superior to other approaches to understanding the world.

• Scientific thinking just one of many possible ways of understanding the world, doesn’t provide any ‘superior truths’.

• Postmodernists have adopted 2 tactics:

  • Reflexivity:

    • Involves the sociologist including information about themselves and their roles when actually constructing the research and seeking to show how they have influenced it.

  • Narratives:

    • Name given to different viewpoints and choices the researcher allows to be heard in the research.

    • Postmodernist sociologist isn’t trying to dominate the account of the research but to put forward different views of the various subjects of research.

    • Plummer has used this in his accounts of gay men’s life histories.

SOCIOLOGY AS VALUE-LADEN FOUCAULT:

• What’s considered to be knowledge reflects the ability of more powerful groups to impose their ideas on the rest of society.

• Gaining control over the production of knowledge (methodology) one also gains control over what’s considered knowledge.

• Value-free process is actually based on set of values.

COMMITTED SOCIOLOGY:

• Approach mostly used by Marxists, feminists and those challenging racism and discrimination against people with disabilities.

• In 1970s two sociologists from different traditions started this approach; causing huge debate.

• Becker and Gouldner both agreed sociology shouldn’t be value-free.

• Becker believed sociology (or at least deviance) had traditionally been on the side of the more powerful and had looked at issues from the viewpoint of the police, social workers, doctors, etc rather than from criminal, client or patient.

• Becker thought sociology should look at viewpoint of the ‘underdog’ – only this way will new questions and ‘facts’ emerge.

• Gouldner attacked Becker for this argument, claiming it didn’t go far enough – and indeed only strengthened status quo.

• Argued police officers, social workers and doctors don’t actually have any real power and sociology ought to study those who create structures of oppression.

• MARXIST VIEW: