objectivity and values

• Positivists


  Believe society could be improved through objective scientific knowledge, free from values of the researcher
• Interpretivists


  Argue it is impossible for sociology to be value-free due to how research is subjective and influenced by values in all aspects
• Positivists


  Sociology can be studied free of values because it is objective
• Interpretivists


  Sociology cannot be studied free of values because it is subjective
• Weber


  Sociology can be value-free once the research process has been chosen, but the values need to be explicitly stated
• Weber's view


  • Values as a guide to research - we can only select areas of study in terms of their value relevance to us
  • Data collection and hypothesis testing - sociologists must be objective as possible when actually collecting the facts (eg. not asking leading questions, the hypothesis must succeed or fall solely on whether it fits the observed facts)
  • Values in the interpretation of data - facts need to be set in a theoretical framework to understand their significance. This is influenced by the sociologist's values, which must be stated explicitly
  • Values and the sociologist as a citizen - sociologists are citizens, they cannot dodge the moral issues their work raises or the uses it is put to by hiding behind 'value freedom'
• Myrdal and Gouldber - sociologists should only identify their values, but opening 'take sides', espousing the interests of actual groups
• It is undesirable to be value-neutral
• Factors influenced by sociologist's values

  • Choice of research topic
  • Choice of method
  • Funding body