Download Values and value freedom 200415

Values
in
Sociology
Start: Key Terms
Subjective
Objective
Valueladen
Valuefreedom
Valuecommitted
Essay Questions
1. Assess whether Sociology can or should ever
be value-free? (33 marks)
2. Assess whether Sociology is able to overcome
the problem of values?
3. Value-free Sociology is a myth? Discuss.
Positivists
• Positivists argue that society (and therefore individuals) can
be studied objectively & scientifically.
• This approach assumes that the researcher can remain fully
objective and detached from their research.
• This approach however can be accused of ignoring the fact
that all individuals have values – feelings, thoughts,
emotions, preferences & prejudices.
• This topic therefore asks the questions; can sociological
research ever be truly objective? And can values actually
have a positive effect in the research process?
Classical Sociology & Values:
• ‘Classical Sociology’ refers to sociology in it’s
earliest forms & examines ‘Classical Sociologists’
such as Comte, Durkheim, Marx & Weber.
Comte & Durkheim can without a doubt be labelled as
‘positivists’ in the truest sense in that they both share the
Enlightenment view that a better society can be produced by
studying it in an objective, value-free, scientific & systematic
manner (Social Facts)
• They argue that the sociologists job is to uncover
‘truths’ & ‘laws’ of society that govern its proper
functioning. Preferring objectivity & valuefreedom meant, Comte & Durkheim argue that
the sociologist is free from values & bias & thus in
a perfect position to suggest what is best for
society.
• This viewpoint almost positions sociologists as the
‘doctors’ of society.
• Comte saw sociologists as ‘latter-day priests of the
new scientific religion of truth’.
Karl Marx
• Generally speaking, Marx favours a
scientific approach to the study of society
& is thus usually classified as a Positivist
sociologist along with Comte & Durkheim.
• However, Marx did talk about Values in his
work (making his view of Society ValueLaden & non-scientific).
• Marx values the strengths of Communism,
taking for granted that it is ‘Ideal’ i.e. this
is not an objective approach but it is
central to Marxist Theory.
What about
Weber and
values?
Max Weber
• Although Weber is, generally speaking, a
contemporary of Comte, Durkheim & Marx,
he broke the mould of this dominant
‘Positivist- Value-Free’ approach by arguing
that Values are actually very important to
Sociological research.
• In taking this different approach to society,
Weber laid the foundations for ‘Social Action’
theories of society (as opposed to Structural
Theories of society) i.e. Interpretivism &
Symbolic Interactionism
• Weber argues that Social Facts cannot tell us how society should
work. Values tell us this information.
• E.g. Positivism can tell us that there are more divorces BUT
this does not mean that people do not value marriage.
Interpretivist methods can get to the bottom of WHY people
divorce, or WHY they stay married.
• It could be argued that divorce is too easy, that marriage
should be harder to obtain, that marriage is pointless etc…..
Society is built on different Value-Judgements NOT Predictable
Social Facts.
• This ultimately means that the scientific,
value-free study of social facts is not
particularly useful in studying society.
• instead; to understand society we need to
understand the subjective, value-laden
opinions, thoughts, emotions and meanings of
individuals.
For a PRIZE Weber called this…
VERSTEHEN (to understand)
Values can guide research…
• It is impossible to fully understand society just by collecting
meaningless, statistical ‘Social Facts’. Instead the sociologist
should pick out the most important areas to examine in a
Qualitative, Specific, Micro manner.
• According to Weber, Sociologists could use positivist statistics to
inform their choices of topic
‘Wow, the suicide rate is rocketing!’
• But ultimately the choice of topic fully depends on the importance
of the topic to the researcher and/ or the funders of the research
‘My brother committed suicide, and the government want to cut the
male suicide rate’
• All research is Value-Relevant / Value-Driven & therefore
unavoidably Value-Laden.
Anti-Minotaur: The Myth of a ValueFree Sociology, Alvin W. Gouldner
Gunnar Myrdal
Total objectivity is an illusion which can never be achieved.
Because all research is guided by certain viewpoints and view
points involve subjectivity.
Subjectivity creeps in at various stages in the course of
sociological research.
The very choice of topic is influenced by personal preferences
and ideological biases of the researcher.
Not possible or desirable to keep values out. Sociologists
should openly take sides.
Howard S. Becker (1967) Whose Side Are We On?
To have values or not to have values: the question is
always with us.
When sociologists undertake to study problems
that have relevance to the world we live in, they
find themselves caught in a crossfire. Some urge
them not to take sides, to be neutral and do
research that is technically correct and value free.
Others tell them their work is shallow and useless if
it does not express a deep commitment to a value
position.
Killer Conclusion …
• Real world Sociology acknowledges the
problem of values but engages in social
research to try and explain society.
Essay Questions
1. Assess whether Sociology can or should ever
be value-free? (33 marks)
2. Assess whether Sociology is able to overcome
the problem of values?
3. Value-free Sociology is a myth? Discuss.