Examine the problems of maintaining objectivity and value neutrality in Social Science research (2015)
Robert Bierstedt defined objectivity as a condition where research should be independent of any subjective elements and personal desires. Early Positivists such as Compte and Durkheim argued that Sociology could and should be objective or value-free. They were of the view that facts and values are different and disengaged & hence can be separated. They advocated that value distort reality and researcher should try to observe true facts (Independent of Values). They claimed that Objectivity was attainable by scientific methodology.
However, Weber believed that complete Value Freedom is not possible. Facts and values are different but not disengaged to each other. Weber proposed sociologists distinguish and recognize their own qualities and beat their own predispositions while leading sociological research, this he named as worth non partisanship . Consequently he guaranteed that an analyst can be objective once a theme of research has been picked.
An increasing number of sociologists argue that a value-free science of society is not possible as values inevitably enter every stage of research. They bring up that a humanists decision of research subject, the field of study, plan of theory, all rely upon his molding (instructive and familial), his view focuses and values. Weber believed that Value relevance would influence the choice of topics of study. Marx lived among the oppressed, thus he wrote Das Kapital; Weber saw bureaucracy as against human freedom, thus wrote on bureaucracy.
Gouldner accepted that all sociologists will in general subscribe to a specific arrangement of Domain suppositions which direct the manner in which research is led and end are come to. Post-Modernists like Lyotard rejected the likelihood of delivering any target learning and supported that information reflects estimations of the distinctive social gathering.
Contemporary researchers give due weight to objectivity but at the same time recognize the futility of trying to wish away value influence completely from their research. Anthony Giddens says that structure, which is largely seen as objective, and social action, which is seen as value-laden, is two sides of the same coin and cannot exist independently.