Objectivity and Values
I won't split this post into AO1s and AO3s as it's all AO1 points that can be used to contrast with each other; this topic will be split into value freedom and committed sociology.
Value freedom:
Positivists:
Comte - Sociology's job to discover the truth about how society works.
Can’t do this with values involved.
Committed sociology:
Weber:
4 stage research process:
Values as a guide to research (values involved).
Data collection and hypothesis testing (objective and value free).
Values in the interpretation of data (values involved).
Values and the sociologist as a citizen (values involved).
Becker:
“Who’s side are we on?”
Must always view research from the perspective of the ‘underdog’ (i.e. the research subject).
Marxists and Feminists:
The sociologist should spell out the importance of their values in research.
Relativists:
All beliefs are based on values and there is no objective truth - no one can claim their beliefs are any more true than anyone else’s.
Postmodernists share this view.
