Objectivity

• Who states objectivity is impossible

  Weber
• Explain objectivity is impossible

  • Weber states it is not possible to achieve objectivity
  • 1 - most sociologists are affiliated with a research perspective like feminism or Marxism which will shape their research
  • 2 - even if objective facts and trends are identified, how a sociologist interprets the data will be influenced by their values
  • 3 - highly objective - the study of society involves a range of areas of research to be pursued, so what a sociologist chooses to research is what they find personally interesting
• Who states that objectivity is undesirable

  Gouldner
• Explain objectivity is undesirable

  • Sociologists today have become spiritless technicians - they have lost passion for the subject and only use the subject to get money as it is their profession
  • in the early days of sociology many theorists were problem makers where as now they are problem takers
  • the spirit of sociology has been dampened as most sociologists work on behalf of those in power, conducting research which enables them to retain their position
• Who states that good sociologists should take sides

  Myrdal
• Explain good sociologists should take sides

  • Myrdal rejects the notion of ‘objectivity through neutrality’
  • sociologists should go out of their way to dedicate their research and theory development to particular groups or individuals - it is their job to side with the ‘underdogs’ of society and seek to fight their cause as they can act as a voice for those who are being oppressed
• Explain worldview will shape your research

  • It is impossible to be value free in sociology because sociology is built upon values of researchers perspectives of the world
  • e.g Marxists deliberately choose to study issues related to class and oppression
  • theorists pick method which help them to develop theories which support their worldview
• Who states that all knowledge is relative

  Postmodernists
• Explain all knowledge is relative

  • Objectivity does not exist - all knowledge and worldviews are relative
  • 1 - what people believe and accept as true can change over time
  • 2 - what people believe to be true can vary across social groups, cultures and countries
  • Pluralism - the world is made up of multiple different perspectives all of which mean something to somebody
• Define relative

  Things mean different things to different people
• Define pluralism

  There are many different worldviews, none of which are superior but all of which are valid