Ethics and politics in social research
Why is it argued that ethical transgression is pervasive in social research?
Because most researchers do not bother to follow a professional code of ethics
Because researchers rarely provide their participants with all the information they might want to know about a project
Because it helps us to justify the more extreme forms of unethical conduct that we prefer to pursue
Because sociologists want to present themselves as inconsiderate and careless
Because researchers rarely provide their participants with all the information they might want to know about a project
Another of the ethical stances that Bryman identifies is the claim that ethical transgression is pervasive and therefore inevitable in social research. This is based on the acknowledgement that researchers have to deceive or withhold information from their participants to some extent. It would be impractical to tell everyone every detail. For example, about the research design. A further instance of this is if the researcher explained the hypotheses being tested, or that most people of a particular socio-economic background hold a particular point of view; whilst this ismore “honest”, it would also bias the response.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 124
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 124
Because researchers rarely provide their participants with all the information they might want to know about a project Another of the ethical stances that Bryman identifies is the claim that ethical transgression is pervasive and therefore inevitable in social research. This is based on the acknowledgement that researchers have to deceive or withhold information from their participants to some extent. It would be impractical to tell everyone every detail. For example, about the research design. A further instance of this is if the researcher explained the hypotheses being tested, or that most people of a particular socio-economic background hold a particular point of view; whilst this ismore “honest”, it would also bias the response.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 124
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 124
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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
Whose side did Becker suggest the social researcher should take?
A. The underdog
B. The fat cat
C. The cash cow
D. The sitting duck
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
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