Topic 4: Values in Sociology

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Intro:

*All members of society, including sociologists - have values, beliefs and opinions.

*Some argue that it is both possible and desirable for sociologists to keep their subjective values out of their research.

*Others argue that staying value-neutral is impossible, because sociologists are humans studying other humans.

*While others argue that it is desirable for sociologists to use their values to improve society.

Max Weber:

*He argues that there are essential roles for values in sociological research.

1. Values as a guide to research: We can only select topics to study which we regard as important based on our values - so they are value relevance to us. They are essential in enabling us to select which aspects of reality to study and in developing concepts with which to understand these concepts. E.G. feminists value gender equality and this leads them to study women's oppression and to develop concepts such as patriarchy with which to understand it.

2. Data collection and hypothesis testing: We must be as objective and unbiased as possible when we actually collecting the facts, keeping our values and prejudices out of the process. So we should not ask leading questions designed to give answers that we want to hear and our questions should aim to get respondents to give us their view. Our values should also be kept out of hypothesis testing as the hypothesis must stand solely or fall solely on whether or not it fits the observed facts.

3. Values in the interpretation of data: Vlues are important for when we come to interpret the date we have collected. As the facts need to be set in a theoretical framework so that we can understand their significance and draw conclusions from them. The choice of theoretical frameworks influenced by out values, which we must be explicit about, spelling out our values so that others can see if unconscious bias is present in our interpretation of our data.

4. Values and the sociologists as a citizen: scientists and sociologists are also citizens. They cannot dodge the moral issues their work raises or the users it is put to by hiding behind value freedom. They must take moral responsibility for the harm their research may do.