Transcript Objectivity & Subjectivity

Objectivity & Subjectivity
Value freedom v Value relevance
• Value freedom is the idea that all
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bias should be eliminated from
research
Only then can it be seen as
objective
But values are complex and can
effect what a researcher chooses
to study
This is value relevance
The theoretical perspective
adopted by the sociologist has
values and assumptions that may
influence the purpose of the
research
Relate this to Ann Oakley’s work
Durkheim v Weber
Positivism v Interpretivism
• Sociology should study
• Sociology involves the
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observable phenonema
Relationships between social
facts should be measured
Social inquiry is no different
from natural scientific inquiry
Quantitative methods should
be used to acquire objective
data
The validity and reliability of
this data should stand up to
scrutiny
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understanding of social action
No value judgements should
be made as to whether the
actions are good or bad
Sociologists should interpret
action from a value-laden
perspective
Different concepts would be
formed because of pre-existing
values
Once a concept is generated,
objectivity is possible
Values in the research Process
• Objectivity can be difficult to
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achieve as values can enter the
research process at different
stages
Choosing a topic
Obtaining funding
Choosing a method
Selecting questions
Recording responses
Interpreting findings
Selecting findings to use in report
Deciding what the research will be
used for
Therefore, is Sociological research a
subjective process?
• Modern Interpretivists would
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argue that sociology cannot be
objective or value free
People are social actors and
have subjective motivations
And make sense of the world
through interpretations of
meanings
Society is the product of
everyday social interaction
Qualitative methods allow
insight into meanings and
motives
Howard S Becker
• Becker believed that it was
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impossible to carry out research
that is uncontaminated by
personal and political beliefs
We can never avoid taking sides
because behaviour should be
analysed from the viewpoint of
those being studied
However it is crucial that
sympathies should not render the
research invalid
Therefore the limitations of the
research should be clearly stated
Political Alignment
• Much Sociological theory can be
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placed on a spectrum from left to
right
The political nature of some
theories means that they cannot
be value free
Marxism and feminism can be
described as committed Sociology
where Sociology cannot be neutral
Their theories and research aims
to bring about social change and
therefore can be seen as
politicised
Political Aims
• Because feminists are
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committed to social change for
women, they may misinterpret
women’s real experiences to fit
in with their political aims
They may impose on women
their value of liberation
By focusing on the oppressed
group, they fail to reveal the
standpoint of the oppressors
This bias cannot be seen as
value-free
However feminists make no
such claim
Social Constructionism
• Social Constructionists suggest
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that Sociologists should question
concepts and categories that
people use to understand the
social world
They are critical of “taken for
granted” knowledge
Concepts and categories are
relative to specific historical times
and cultures
Knowledge is not the product of
objective observation but is
socially constructed through
discourse (Burr 1995)
Social constructionism and Subjectivity
• This theory indicates that
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sociology cannot be value-free
It is bound up with particular
discourses and values
There can be no objective
truth because truth varies with
historical and cultural context
This makes research
problematic
If all knowledge is relative,
how can one piece of research
be more objective than
another?
Postmodernists don’t think it
can
Conclusion
• Gomm (2004) argues that sociology cannot avoid values as society
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is made up of values
Sociologists are members of society and they cannot avoid the
influence of their cultural beliefs on their work
Gouldner (1962) describes “value-free Sociology as a myth” as
research is influenced by “domain assumptions”
Domain assumptions are basic assumptions about social life and the
nature of society
Sociologists therefore need to bring their assumptions and values
into the open so that others are aware of possible bias
This is an issue of integrity if research findings are to be used in
policy making and fed back into cultural beliefs
Summary Questions
• What is the difference between value freedom
and value relevance ?
• Outline views that suggest that Sociology cannot
be value – free
• Why would Postmodernists believe that research
cannot be objective?