Ethics and politics in social research
Whose side did Becker suggest the social researcher should take?
The underdog
The fat cat
The cash cow
The sitting duck
The underdog
Becker (1967, cited in “Thinking deeply 6.2” on page 143) argued that some degree of partiality was inevitable in social research, as we cannot help but “take sides” with certain groups whom we are studying. He said that accusations of bias were less likely when the researcher simply reinforced a dominant ideology, and more likely when they took the side of the “underdog”, or less privileged groups in society. In spite of this, Becker thought that it was important for sociologists of deviance, in particular, to give a voice to these oppressed minorities, but he did maintain that we should avoid “sentimental”, one-sided and theoretically weak research. It should be possible, though, to present both sides’ views and even when one side only is shown, it can be done without displaying a particular sympathy
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 143
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 143
The underdog Becker (1967, cited in “Thinking deeply 6.2” on page 143) argued that some degree of partiality was inevitable in social research, as we cannot help but “take sides” with certain groups whom we are studying. He said that accusations of bias were less likely when the researcher simply reinforced a dominant ideology, and more likely when they took the side of the “underdog”, or less privileged groups in society. In spite of this, Becker thought that it was important for sociologists of deviance, in particular, to give a voice to these oppressed minorities, but he did maintain that we should avoid “sentimental”, one-sided and theoretically weak research. It should be possible, though, to present both sides’ views and even when one side only is shown, it can be done without displaying a particular sympathy
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 143
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 143
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Apart from the fact that it is “not a nice thing to do” (p133), what is an important ethical disadvantage of deceiving participants?A. It can damage the professional reputation of the researcher and their discipline
B. It makes it more difficult to gain access to deviant or hidden populations
C. It means that records of personal data about the participants cannot be made anonymous
D. None of the above
Why is it important that personal data about research participants are kept within secure, confidential records?
A. So that the participants cannot find out what has been written about them
B. So that individuals, places or organizations cannot be harmed through identification or disclosure of personal information
C. So that government officials, teachers and other people in authority can have easy access to the data
D. To enable the researcher to track down individuals and find out more about their lives
Which of the following is a form of harm that might be suffered by research participants?
A. Physical injury
B. Stress and anxiety
C. Impaired development
D. All of the above
Why is it “easier said than done” to ensure that the principle of informed consent is adhered to?
A. It is not practicable to present every participant with all the information about the study
B. Sometimes it is desirable to withhold certain pieces of information, such as the length of time an interview will take
C. If the participants knew exactly what the researcher was intending to study, they might change their behaviour
D. All of the above
Which of the following factors does not add a political dimension to the research process?
A. The researcher’s values, beliefs and prior assumptions
B. The response rate of a social survey
C. The vested interests of the funding body
D. A gatekeeper’s concerns about representation
Which of the following ideas is not associated with the stance of situation ethics?
A. Anything goes
B. Principled relativism
C. The end justifies the means
D. No choice
Which method is most commonly associated with a lack of informed consent?
A. In-depth interviewing
B. Qualitative content analysis
C. Covert observation
D. Structured interviewing
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