Sociology Paper 1 + 3 Debates

• Values


  This concept:

  - the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes about what is important that help guide the way you live.

  - All members of society have these.
• Objective


  This term:

  - NOT influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts
• Subjective


  This term:

  - based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions
• Classical Sociologists


  These Sociologists:

  - Comte and Durkheim

  - Argued that with positivist methods, society can be studied objectively, without bias.

  - Uncovers social facts.

  - Also includes Karl Marx

  - Part of the Enlightenment
• Enlightenment Period


  This period:

  - a movement that emphasized science and reason as guides to help see the world more clearly.

  - Largely based on science and objective research.

  - Marx, Durkheim and Weber were writing at this time.
• Max Weber


  This sociologist:

  - Made the distinction between value judgement and facts.

  - Values are part of the research process, e.g. deciding what to research.

  - BUT argued that data collection and interpretation SHOULD remain objective.
• Weber's 4 stages of values in research

  The stages are:

  1. Values as a guide.

  2. Data collection and hypothesis (SHOULD BE OBJECTIVE)

  3. Values in the interpretation of data.

  4.Values as a citizen - We have a moral duty.
• View of Value freedom

  This view:

  - The idea that the beliefs and prejudices of a researcher should not influence the way research is carried out and evidence interpreted.

  - Sociologists should remain morally neutral.

  - Positivist hold this view
• View of Value laden


  This view:

  - The idea that values in research is inevitable.

  - Interpretivists such as Weber argue this.
• Committed sociology


  These Sociologists:

  - Use research and their values, and are committed to improving the lives of who they research.

  E.g. Marxist (On the side of proletariat)

  - Feminist (Fighting for gender equality)

  - Interactionist (Side of the underdog, those that are labelled negatively)
• Gouldner


  This sociologist:

  - Argues from a MARXIST perspective.

  - Sociologists should be COMMITTED to ending oppression.

  - Criticises BECKER view of the underdog, instead of describing the life of the underdog, sociologists should be committed to changing their lives.
• Becker


  This sociologist:

  - Argues from a INTERACTIONIST perspective

  - 'Who' side are we on'?

  - Classical sociologists take the side of the powerful, instead WE should take the side of the underdog (criminals, those labelled, mental patients, etc).

  - His research was on 'THE OUTSIDERS'

  - As less is known about these groups, research MUST tell their story to readdress the balance.
• Postmodernist


  These Sociologist:

  - Take a RELATIVIST view - there is diverse views (and values) in the world all equally valid.

  - Argued that ALL sociologists have competing views (more than one version of the truth)

  - All traditional sociologists are META-NARRATIVES.
• Feminist


  These Sociologists:

  - Hold the value that society is PATRIARCHAL.

  - Actively committed to promoting the rights of women.
• Functionalists


  These Sociologists:

  - Hold the value that society is based on CONCENSUS (an agreement on values)

  - BUT argue that this can be studied OBJECTIVELY.

  - They tend to take the side of the establishment by using official statistics (using methods that produce facts that reflect their values).

  - E.G. Durkheim
• Marxist:


  These Sociologists:

  - Hold the value that society is based on CLASS INEQUALITY.

  - Committed to uncover inequality and promotes the movement to a classless society.
• Relativism


  This viewpoint:

  - Different groups cultures, and individuals - including sociologists- have different views to what is true. Each view the world in their own way.

  - There is no independent way of judging whether any one view is truer than any other.

  - This view states there is NO OBJECTIVE truth - rather there is more than one (plural truths).