Is a value-free sociology either possible

or desirable?

his essay is asking two questions at once. The key words in the title are 'possible' and
'desirable'. In order to achieve a high grade, both questions must be answered. An
appropriate balance is the key to success. This just goes to show the importance of reading
the question through a few times before you attempt to answer it. Many students panic in
examinations and don't read the question through properly. This often results in good students
achieving lower grades than they are capable of. Be warned.

Value freedom is the notion that sociological research can and This opening paragraph simply
should be carried out without the researcher's own views and provides a brief definition of value
values intruding into the research investigation. In other words, freedom. If you can remember a
the socioiogist must be neutral, without biases and should not relevant quote or phrase, it always
take sides. Value freedom is often associated with objectivity. looks good in an introduction.
According to Bierstedt, research is only objective if it is free from However, if you can't remember a
'subjective elements' and 'personal desires'. quote, just do what I've done and
put down the key words.

The view that a value-free sociology is both possible and desir- In this paragraph, I've explained
able is most closely associated with the positivist perspective. where the idea of value freedom
According to positivists, value freedom is achieved by following comes from and how it can be
the methods and procedures of the natural sciences. However, this achieved. This is an example of
positivist view of an objective and value-free natural science has setting the scene and acts as a
been challenged by Kaplan who has pointed out that researchers launch-pad into the main body of
within the natural sciences do not necessarily follow the method- the essay.
ological approach which positivists maintain that natural scien-
tists use.
In addition, values must inevitably come into any research
whether it is within natural science or social science. As soon as
a researcher chooses one subject to study rather than another
subject, that researcher has expressed a value. For example, within

A-Level Sociology: Essays 15

Question 4
Weber is a key name in the value-
freedom debate, and no essay on
this subject wouldbe complete
without him. This is because
Weber points to the relative
nature of values. Youmust
make sure that you've a good
understanding of Weber or your
value-freedom essay willbe weak
and incomplete.
This paragraph uses information
from another area of the syllabus,
in this instance, health, and
applies it to the question. This is
a useful technique to learn.
Gouldner is another essential
theorist in the value-freedom
debate. You willnotice that the
introduction of Gouldner takes the
essay in a different direction. The
contemporary issue of homeless-
ness is used to support
16
sociology it is evident that classical sociologists such as Durkheim
and Marx, who both claimed to be objective and scientific, were
in fact motivated by their own personal values. The Marxist Baritz
takes this argument one stage further by saying that the values
which form the basis of any piece of research are less likely to be
those of the individual researcher than of the organisation or person
funding the research. This argument is supported by the example
of the Rowntree Trust which funds research into poverty.
Weber would agree that the values of the researcher do influence
the area of study. He pointed out that values are inevitably linked
to the society in which the researcher works, so different societies
will give rise to different types of knowledge. The knowledge
reflects the values of that particular society. For example, the
Bulger case has given rise to numerous attempts to link the mass
media with anti-social behaviour. Research of this nature is
unlikely in a third world country as other issues or values take
priority. However, Weber believed that once the topic of investi-
gation had been chosen, objectivity was possible, providing the
researcher does not make any value judgements upon the results
of the research.
According to Marxists, the researcher may consider the results to
be value-free but there is no guarantee that others will look at
the results of the research in the same manner. Marxists would
argue that some research findings can be used to benefit the
dominant social class. Additionally, the powerful can commission
research to suit their own purposes; for example, the layout of
large supermarket chains is designed by social scientists in order
to maximise profits. Where research findings do not fit in with the
goals of the body funding the research, the funders have the power
to suppress the findings. This occurred in the case of the
Conservative government which commissioned The Black Report
and The Health Divide which were research investigations into the
health of the nation. The results showed that bad health was
linked to inequalities between the social classes. The government
did not publish these reports as they might have proved damaging
to Conservative policy.
According to the American Marxist Gouldner in his essay 'Anti-
Minotaur: The Myth of a Value Free Sociology', just as the
mythical creature the Minotaur cannot be separated into man and
bull, neither can values be separated from facts in sociology.
Gouldner argues that the whole idea of a value-free sociology
stems from the self-interest generated by capitalism. He claims
Exam Success
 that early American sociologists who had been critical of Gouldner's argument. Can you
American society came under attack from those in power and as think of different examples which
a result began to lose their academic status. In order to save equally demonstrate Gouldner's
themselves, they created the myth of a value-free sociology and point? You need to develop the
were no longer critical of American society. However, Gouldner confidence to apply theoretical
claims that 'sitting on the fence' and saying nothing critical about debates to contemporary issues.
society is in itself a value, so a value-free sociology is not possible. It will make your essays more
He argues that if something is wrong in society, sociologists have enjoyable to read and write and
a moral duty to speak out because silence concerning a social will show that you can make the
inequality is as good as support for social inequality. For example, link between theory and practice.
sociologists should comment on people living and sleeping on the
streets, and if they stay silent about it, then they are as good as
saying that people should live and sleep on the streets. Gouldner
believes that sociology is not and should not be value-free.
Since the 1960s, many modern sociologists have rejected the
notion that a value-free sociology is either possible or desirable.
The interactionist Becker claimed that as the social world was
mainly seen through the eyes of the powerful, sociologists should
attempt to redress the balance by showing the social world
through the eyes of the underdog. Hence, many pieces of re-
search from the second half of the twentieth century have not
been value-free, nor have they attempted to be. This trend was
encapsulated in Parker's work View From the Boys, which shows
crime from the point of view of those who commit it.
Marxist sociologists would go further than Becker by ad-
vocating a form of sociology which is clearly political and there-
fore not value-free. Marxist sociology not only looks at the struc-
tured inequalities of the social world, but it frequently gives a
prescription to remove these inequalities as it perceives them to
be immoral. This idea that sociology is political and therefore not
value-free is not exclusive to left-wing writers. For example, the
New Right apply right-wing explanations, laden with right-wing
values, to the causes of social problems: Marsland criticises the
Welfare State for creating a culture of dependency and advocates
the destruction of the Welfare State as we know it. Many sociol-
ogists concur with Gouldner in believing that sociology is not and
should not be value-free.

The conclusion refers to, and

In conclusion, it appears that contemporary sociology has lost its answers, the question. It also
infatuation with value freedom. Most contemporary sociologists makes further reference to why a
do not see a value-free sociology as either possible or desirable. value-free sociology isn't possible.
It has been accepted that values which are present in every society Note that the question has been
will become part of the socialisation process of any individual. answered at various points in
This in itself will ensure that a value-free sociology is impossible. the essay and not just in the
Those like Marsland who attack sociology for its left-wing bias conclusion. Regular reference ot
are themselves guilty of their own right-wing bias through their the question will keep your essay
preoccupation with maintaining the present capitalist social order. tight and to the point.

A-Level Sociology: Essays 17

Essays on value freedom are fairly clear-cut - there's a limited number of ways in which the
examiner can ask the question. Therefore, unlike other essays, it's highly unlikely that you'll have
trouble in interpreting the question. However, do give yourself time to read the question thoroughly
and plan your answer carefully. Unli ke other areas of sociology, where there are any number of
theorists who can be applied to explain a point, freedom has some specific theorists who ought
to be used, namely Weber and Gouldner.
In addition, as stated in the guidance notes, don't be afraid to link in other areas of sociology.
In the case of this essay the subject of health has been linked with the subject of value freedom.
The modularisation of A-level Sociology has encouraged students to view each topic as a separate
subject. It's important, however, to recognise the interrelationships between all topics on the
syllabus.

Related questions

1 To what extent can value judgements be kept out of sociological research?

2 'There is no such thing as value neutrality in sociology and it is therefore pointless to pursue
it.' Evaluate this statement.

3 How far is it true to say that values inevitably enter into any piece of sociological research?