Politics of Social Research - Introduction Sociology - Lecture Slides, Slides of Introduction to Sociology

Download Politics of Social Research - Introduction Sociology - Lecture Slides and more Slides Introduction to Sociology in PDF only on Docsity! CHAPTER 3, The Ethics and Politics of Social Research docsity.com Chapter Outline • Ethical Issues in Social Research • Two Ethical Controversies • The Politics of Social Research • Quick Quiz docsity.com • No Harm to the Participants – People being researched should never be injured (physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, psychologically). – Examples: Tuskegee Syphilis Study, Stanford Prison Experiment – Possible to eliminate 100% of risk? docsity.com – Informed Consent – A norm in which subjects based their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risk involved. – Sources of harm docsity.com • Anonymity and Confidentiality – Anonymity – Guaranteed in a research project when neither the researchers nor the readers of the findings can identify a given response with a given respondent. – Confidentiality – Guaranteed when the research can identify a given person’s responses but promises not to do so publicly. docsity.com • Institutional Review Boards – A panel of faculty who review all research proposals involving human subjects so that they can guarantee that the subjects’ rights and interests will be protected. – Exceptions docsity.com ¢ Professional Code of Ethics CODE OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND PRACTICES We, the members of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, subscribe ‘o the principles expressed in the following code. Our goal is to suppert sound practice in the profession of public opinio research. (By public opinion research we mean studies in which the principal source of infermaticn about individual beliefs, preferences, and behavior is a report giver by the individual himself or herself.) We pledge ourselves to maintain high standards of scientific competence and integrity in our work, and in our relations both with our clients and with the general public. We further pledge ourselves to reject all tasks or assignments which would be inconsistent with the principles of this code. THE CODE |. Principles of Professional Practice in the Conduct of Our Werk A. We shall exercise due cave in gathering and processing data, taking all reasonable steps to assume the accuracy of results, B. We shall exercise due cae in the development of research dasigns and in the analysis of data 1. We shall employ only research tools and methods of analysis which, in our professional judgment, are well suited to the research problem at hend. 2. We shall not select research tools and methods of analysis because of their special capacity to yield a desired conclusion. 3. We shall not knowingly make interpretations of research results, ner shall we tacitly permit interpretations, which ate inconsistent with the data available, 4. We shall not knowingly imply that interpre:ations should be azcorded greater confidenze than the data actually warrant. C. We shall describe our findings and methods accurately and in appropriate detail ir all research repor's. . Principles of Professional Responsibility in Our Dealings with People A. The Public: 1. We shall cooperate with legaly authorized representatves of the public by describing the methods used in our studies, 2. We shall maintain the rght to approve the release of our findngs wrether or not ascribed to us. When misinterpretation appears, we stall publicly disclose what is required to correct it, notwithstandng our obligation for clent confidentiality in all other respects. B, Clients or Sponsors: 1. We shall hold confidential all nformation obtained about the client's general business affairs and about the findings of research conducted for the client, except when the dissemination of such information is expressly authorized. 2, We shall be mindtul of the limitations of our techniques and facilities and shall accept only those research ass gnments which can be accomplished within these limitations. C. The Protession: 1. We shall not cite our membership in the Association as evidence of professional competence, since the association does not so certify any perscns or organizations. 2. We recogrize our responsibilty to contribute to the science cf public opinon research and te disseminate as freely as possible the ideas and findings which emerge from our research. D. The Respondent: 1. We shall not lie to survey respondents or use practices and methoes which abuse, coerce, cr humiliate them. 2, We shall protect the anonymity of every responcent, unless the resoondent waives such anonymity {or specified uses. in addition, we shall hold as privileged and confidental all information which tends to eae ° " docsity. com Two Ethical Controversies Trouble in the Tearoom – Laud Humphreys Studied homosexual activities in public restrooms in parks Researcher became interested in the lives of participants Researcher volunteered to become “watchqueen” Researcher collected personal information about the participants (license numbers of cars) Which ethical issues are in question? docsity.com • Objectivity and Ideology – Science achieves objectivity through intersubjectivity. – Weber (1925): sociology needs to be unencumbered by personal values if it is to make a special contribution to society. docsity.com – Race – Sexual research – Census docsity.com • Politics with a Little “p” – Social research in relation to contested social issues cannot remain antiseptically objective. docsity.com 1. _____ is a norm in which subjects base their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risks involved. A. Research participation B. The Hawthorne effect C. Informed consent D. The code of ethics docsity.com ANSWER: C. Informed consent is a norm in which subjects base their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risks involved. docsity.com 2. Though the norm of voluntary participation is important, it is often A. justifiably violated B. not received C. impossible to follow D. all of the above docsity.com ANSWER: E. Ethics enters in all of these fields: natural sciences, psychology, medicine, and sociology. docsity.com 4. The major justification social scientists have for requesting participation in a study is that A. it may help the respondent. B. it may help all humanity. C. it may help the social scientist. D. it may help government officials make policy decisions. E. it may help improve the educational system. docsity.com ANSWER: B. The major justification the social scientists has for requesting participation in a study is that it may help all humanity. docsity.com 6. Which of the following is not a difference between ethical and political aspects of social research? A. Ethical considerations are more objective than political considerations. B. Ethical aspects include a professional code of ethics, whereas political aspects do not. C. Ethics deal more with methods, whereas political issues deal with substance. D. Ethical norms have been established, whereas political norms have not been established. docsity.com ANSWER: A. The following is not a difference between ethical and political aspects of social research: Ethical considerations are more objective than political considerations. docsity.com