Sociology: The Ideal Type & Values in Social Science
Table of Contents
Sociology : Paper I: Methodology
The ideal type provides a basic method for comparative study. It refers to creating a kind of model which includes the most prominent characteristics of the phenomena to be studied.
In a way, it is an exaggerated picture of a particular reality. For instance, if you want to construct an ideal type of a villain in an Indian film, you may develop an image of a man with small, wicked eyes, a moustache, a deep voice and a sinister laugh, wearing a flashy suit, carrying a gun and surrounded by”gondas”! Of course, not all villains in Indian movies are just like this. But you have abstracted the most commonly found characteristics and created an analytical construct. This ideal type can be used as a measuring rod with which the sociologist can compare existing reality.
Ideal types help to construct hypotheses. Using ideal types, the sociologist can measure real development and clarify important aspects of reality. we have already seen how Weber used the ideal types of “the Protestant ethic” and “the spirit of capitalism”, showing the linkages between them. His study of the sociology of religion with which you are by now familiar, reflects the ‘historicity’ which is an important aspect of Weber’s approach.
Values in Social Science
Science is often described as an ‘objective’ search for truth. It is supposed to be value-free, unbiased, impartial. We have seen how Durkheim advocates objective understanding of social facts and how he recommends that the sociologist free himself/herself from prejudice and pre-conceived notions.
Is an ‘objective’, ‘value-free’ science, natural or social, really possible?
According Weber, values play an important role in choosing a particular topic of study. Why have you chosen sociology as an elective course? Certain values have guided you, or easy, or may be you did not like the other elective courses. Similarly, if a scientist decides to study, say, the behavior of an atom or the life and customs of rural Indians, he/she has been guided by certain value orientations.
Weber makes a clear distinction between value-orientations and value judgments. The researcher or scientist may be guided to undertake a particular study because of certain value-orientations, but, according to Weber, he/she must not pass moral judgments about it. The researcher must observe ethical neutrality. His/her job is to study phenomena, not pass judgments about whether they are ‘good’ or ‘evil’. These, in brief are the major methodological contributions of Weber.
You have by now gained an understanding of the distinctive methodological orientations of each of the three founding fathers of sociology. It is time now, to ask an important question, namely, how did they define the role and tasks of the social scientist? The answer to this question will help you to summarize the aims and objectives, which they had in mind when they undertook their respective studies of social phenomena.
