The Practice of Social Research

Chapter 3 – The Ethics and Politics of Social Research

Chapter Outline Ethical Issues in Social Research Two Ethical Controversies The Politics of Social Research Quick Quiz

Ethical Issues in Social Research Ethical (Webster’s): conforming to the standards of

conduct of a given profession or group.

Ethical Issues in Social Research Voluntary Participation

No one should be forced to participate.

Balance of science and ethics?

Possible?

Ethical Issues in Social Research 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?

Informed Consent – a norm in which subjects base their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risk involved.

Ethical Issues in Social Research 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.

Ethical Issues in Social Research Deception

Deception within social research needs to be justified by scientific or administrative concerns.

Debriefing – interviewing subjects to learn about their experience of participation in the project.

Ethical Issues in Social Research Analysis and Reporting

Ethical obligation to colleagues in the scientific community.

All results must be reported (positive and negative).

All limitations must be admitted.

Ethical Issues in Social Research 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

Ethical Issues in Social Research Professional Code of Ethics

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?

Two Ethical Controversies Observing Human Obedience – Stanley Milgram

Participants imitated a laboratory-based World War II controversy

Participants were assigned job of “teacher” – to teach a list of works to the “pupil.” If the pupil got the word wrong, the teacher would administer increasing levels of shocks to the pupil.

Which ethical issues are in question?

The Politics of Social Research The ethics of social research deals mostly with the

methods employed.

Political issues tend to center on the substance and use of research.

There are no formal codes of acceptable political conduct, while there are formal codes of conduct for social research.

The Politics of Social Research Objectivity and Ideology

Science achieves objectivity through inter-subjectivity.

Weber (1925): sociology needs to be unencumbered by personal values if it is to make a special contribution to society.

The Politics of Social Research Politics with a Little “p”

Social research in relation to contested social issues cannot remain antiseptically objective.

The Politics of Social Research Politics in Perspective

1. Science is not untouched by politics.

2. Science does proceed in the midst of political controversy and hostility.

3. An awareness of ideological considerations enriches the study and practice of social research methods.

4. Whereas researchers should not let their own values interfere with the quality and honesty of the research, this does not mean that researchers cannot or should not participate in public debates.

Quick Quiz

Chapter 3 Quiz

1. Which constrains must be placed on social research for it to be considered realistic?

A. scientific constraints

B. administrative constraints

C. ethical constraints

D. all of the above

Chapter 3 Quiz

ANSWER: D.

Scientific, administrative, and ethical constraints must be placed on social research for it to be considered realistic.

Chapter 3 Quiz

2. _____ 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

Chapter 3 Quiz

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.

Chapter 3 Quiz

3. 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

Chapter 3 Quiz

ANSWER: D.

Though the norm of voluntary participation is important, it is often justifiably violated, not received, and impossible to follow.

Chapter 3 Quiz

4. Both ethics and politics hinge on

A. idiographic research.

B. power and resources.

C. manifest research.

D. ideological points of view.

Chapter 3 Quiz

ANSWER: D.

Both ethics and politics hinge on ideological points of view.

Chapter 3 Quiz

5. Ethics are not a consideration in which one of the following fields of research?

A. natural sciences

B. psychology

C. medicine

D. sociology

E. None of the above – they all require ethical considerations.

Chapter 3 Quiz

ANSWER: E.

Ethics enters in all of these fields: natural sciences, psychology, medicine, and sociology.

Chapter 3 Quiz

6. The major justification that 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.

Chapter 3 Quiz

ANSWER: B.

The major justification the social scientists has for requesting participation in a study is that it may help all humanity.

Chapter 3 Quiz

7. The controversy surrounding Laud Humphreys’ study of homosexuals suggests that he most violated which of the following ethical principles?

A. anonymity and confidentiality

B. harm to subjects and data reporting without identification

C. concealed identify or researcher anonymity

D. harm to subjects and anonymity

Chapter 3 Quiz

ANSWER: D.

The controversy surrounding Laud Humphreys’ study of homosexuals suggests that he most violated the ethical principle of harm to subjects and anonymity.

Chapter 3 Quiz

8. 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.

Chapter 3 Quiz

ANSWER: A.

The following is not a difference between ethical and political aspects of social research: Ethical considerations are more objective than political considerations.