values in selecting questions for research but under no condition can a researcher allow his or her personal feelings to influence the interpretation of data. In conducting research, sociologists must practice value neutrality in Max Weber's phrase. And as part of this neutrality, investigators have an ethical obligation to accept research findings even when the data run counter to their own personal views, to theoretically based explanations, or to widely accepted beliefs.
The issue of value neutrality becomes especially delicate when one considers the relationship of sociology to government. Max Weber urged that sociology remain an autonomous discipline, and not become unduly influenced by any one segment of society. According to his ideal of value neutrality, sociologists must remain free to reveal information that is embarrassing to government.
Vocabulary Practice
I. Read and translate the text using a dictionaryif necessary.
II. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following:
что касается, план исследования, получить данные, наблюдения участника эксперимента, опрос, ненавязчивый, причинно-следственные отношения, проводить эксперимент, искусственно созданная ситуация, подвергаться чему-либо, ясно установить, исследователь (2), испытывать неприязнь к, наблюдатель, испытывать неудобства, с другой стороны, исказить, щекотливый вопрос, относительно чего-либо (2), сохранять беспристрастность, тесные связи, участвовать в опросах, анкета, высокий процент, отклонить личную просьбу, ряд приемов в исследовании, нетрадиционный пример, взаимно исключающие, оценка (2), респондент, участник, объект (предмет) наблюдения, честность, достоинство, конфиденциальность, сотрудничество, ни при каких условиях, нейтральность оценки, этическое обязательство, противоречить чему-либо, обнародовать информацию.
III. Supplythe missing words or word combinations choosing among those given below.
1) An… of sociological research is the decision … how data should be collected. 2) Sociologists use different techniques … for their research. 3) When sociologists wish to study a possible … they may conduct experiments. 4) An experiment allows the researcher… to confirm … to refute the hypothesis under study. 5) In conducting participant observation the investigator may … several problems. 6) If the researcher acts as the members of the group may …. 7) If the researcher… his identity and purpose, he is being somewhat…. 8) The observer cannot allow the close associations that… develop to influence the conclusion of the study. 9) Almost all of us have responded to …. 10) Since the questions are written, there is some …. 11) Sociologists from Arizona studied people's spending and eating habits by examining …. 12) Two or more research methods used together may be …. 13) Unobtrusive methods have proved to be valuable as … to other research methods.
14) The beer consumption experiment produced … of beer consumption.
15) It is very important how sociologists … of their research. 16) Sociology should remain … and not become … influenced by government. 17) Sociology must… to reveal information that is … to government.
remain free, embarrassing, an autonomous discipline, unduly, interpret the results, a considerably higher estimate, a supplement, especially informative, household garbage, guarantee of consistency, surveys of one kind or another, inevitably, disguises, dishonest, an outsider, feel uneasy, face, either … or …, cause-and-effect relationship, to generate data, important aspect, as to.
IV. Studythe following words and word combinations and use them in sentences of your own:
to obtain data scientifically, to be exposed to, to collect data through, to get an accurate sense of, to face some problems, to resent smth, to disguise, to raise a delicate question, to provide smb with smth, to throw away, to include a variety of research techniques, to have some (no) impact on, to name a few examples, to prove to be …, to abide by, under no condition, to accept research findings, to run counter to, to urge, to remain free.
Comprehension Exercises
I. Reread the text and answer the following questions.
1) What research techniques do sociologists regularly use to generate data? 2) What is considered to be the classic method of conducting an experiment? 3) What problems does the sociologist face in conducting participant observation research? 4) What are the advantages of an interview and a questionnaire? 5) What basic techniques of unobtrusive measurement do you know? 6) Are different research designs viewed as mutually exclusive? 7) What must sociologists abide by while conducting research? 8) What are the basic principles of the code of ethics? 9) What else do the ethical considerations of sociologists lie in? 10) What is the main ethical category that sociologists should practice in conducting research? 11) What is important in the relationship of sociology to government?
II. Define the following key terms and memorize the definitions:
research design, experiment, survey, unobtrusive measures, code of ethics, value neutrality.
III. Speak on the researchdesign and researchtechniques in brief and illustrate your report withsituations or examples of your own.
IV. Determine a social problem of dailylife that is of interest toyou and trytowork out a researchdesign and choose researchtechniques toobtain and analyze data regarding it.
V. Speak on the ethics of research and comment on its basic principles developing the idea. Doyou agree withall of them?Can you add any other principles to the Code of Ethics?
VI. Read the following and comment on the topics suggested.
1) On the surface, the principles of the Code of Ethics seem quite clear-cut. It may be difficult to imagine how they could lead to any disagreement or controversy. However, many delicate ethical questions cannot be resolved simply by following these six points. For example, should asociologist engaged in participant-observation research always protect the confidentiality of subjects? What if the subjects are members of a religious cult engaged in unethical and even illegal activities?
2) The Code of Professional Ethics expects sociologists to disclose all funding sources. But it does not state whether sociologists who accept funding from a particular agency may also accept their idea on what should be studied. In this case sociologists turn from basic sociological research to applied research for government agencies and the private sector losing to a great extent the freedom to choose their own problems and substituting the problems of their clients for those which might have interested them on purely theoretical grounds. Two delicate questions arise here:
a) Is it possible that applied sociology, the use of the discipline for some specific and practical applications, should get more prominent at the expense of basic sociology, the objective of which is to gain a more profound knowledge of the fundamental aspects of social phenomena?
b) And can it be that Max Weber's ideal of value neutrality might be undermined too?
Revision Exercises on Unit Two
1. Revise