Unit 4 SCLY4 - Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods; Stratification and Differentiation with Theory and Methods
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Value Freedom Sociology 20 Mark Essay
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Unit 4 SCLY4 - Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods; Stratification and Differentiation with Theory and Methods
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A 20 Mark Essay for AQA A-Level Sociology Paper 3 Question 6, examining the extent to which sociology can be viewed as value free, including various sociological perspectives.
Unit 4 SCLY4 - Crime and Deviance with Theory and Methods; Stratification and Differentiation with Theory and Methods
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AQA A-Level Sociology
(20) “Evaluate the extent to which Sociology can be seen as value free”
It is evident that some sociologists argue that it is impossible for sociology to be value-free
and objective, while others claim that research should and is inevitably driven by values as
the point of sociological research is to change society for the better. This essay will set out to
evaluate the extent to which sociology is and should be value free, examining a range of
perspectives.
Positivists argue that sociology should and can be value-free. Early Positivist Comte believed
that the aim of sociology- creating a better society, could only be achieved by objectively
discovering how society works, uncovering laws to solve social problems. Research needs to
be objective to improve society- or it will just reflect what sociologists wish to see. Only then
can sociology be scientific. Durkheim added that these social laws could only be collected by
value freedom, in the form of statistical evidence. An example of this is Durkheim’s study of
suicide, in which he objectively proposed a hypothesis that lack of integration caused suicide,
then confirmed this when comparing Catholic and Protestant suicide rates, finding that
Catholics (who have higher levels of integration) had lower rates. Thus, objectively
discovering that society can be improved by reducing suicide by increasing integration.
Therefore, Early Positivists believed that society can be value free in using detached research
methods (such as statistics), removing values of the researcher, and should be value free, in
this helping to improve society objectively.
Furthermore, 20th century Positivists go so far as to say that it is not directly the job of
sociologists to improve society yet to present their objective research to policy makers. Thus,
how this data is used, is not their concern.
However, the Positivist stance on value freedom is undermined, in examining the role of
funding bodies. Goulder was critical of Positivist Functionalists who worked for big businesses
and the military, as they rarely criticised their paymasters for using research to more
efficiently exploit workers or train soldiers to more effectively kill their enemy. Therefore,
Gomm concludes that value freedom in sociological research is impossible, as whoever
controls the funding for research controls the values. He adds that some sociologists censor
their own work, wishing not to upset those in power, who could harm their career prospects.
Weber criticised 20th century Positivists for claiming that how the usage of their data is not
their concern, arguing that they ought to take moral responsibility for the harm their research
might do. For instance, Gonzalez argues that sociologists embedded within military units in
Iraq and Afghanistan were engaged in identifying those likely to become insurgents or
terrorists and may have been responsible for the subsequent deaths of people in the region.
Therefore, suggesting that sociology should have values.
Weber argues that it is impossible for sociology to be value free, making a distinction between
value judgements and facts. For instance, research may show that divorcees are more likely
to commit suicide- a fact. However, there is nothing logical about this fact that means that
divorce should be made harder to obtain. Rather, it could be made harder to get married.
Therefore, sociology cannot be value-free as what is done about research depends on value
judgements that cannot be prove by fact.
Phillips claims that data collection is a social process that involves interaction between
researchers and their human subjects and respondents- values inevitably bias this interaction.
For example, some respondents, when faced with a questionnaire or interviewer may seek
social approval or deny behaviour or attitudes that they perceive not to fit with the value
position of the researcher- poorly trained interviewers may give this away with body
language. Even if well-trained, there is always the danger that the presence of a sociologist or
research (such as a questionnaire) may influence the values of the group being studied.
Meanwhile, the pursuit of a verstehen and use of ethnographic methods could result in bias in
favour of the group being studied. Therefore, it is impossible for sociology to be value-free, as
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