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.

Voluntary Participation No one should be forced to participate.

Balance of science and ethics?

Possible?

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 based their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risk involved.

Sources of harm

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.

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.

Analysis and Reporting Ethical obligation to colleagues in the

scientific community.

All results must be reported (positive and negative).

All limitations must be admitted.

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

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?

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 deal 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.

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.

Race Sexual research Census

Politics with a Little “p” Social research in relation to contested

social issues cannot remain antiseptically objective.

Politics in Perspective1. 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

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 participationB. The Hawthorne effectC. Informed consentD. The code of ethics

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.

2. Though the norm of voluntary participation is important, it is oftenA. justifiably violatedB. not receivedC. impossible to followD. all of the above

ANSWER: D.Though the norm of voluntary

participation is important, it is often justifiably violated, not received, and impossible to follow.

3. Ethics are not a consideration in which one of the following fields of research?A. natural sciencesB. psychologyC. medicineD. sociologyE. None of the above – they all require ethical considerations.

ANSWER: E.Ethics enters in all of these fields: natural

sciences, psychology, medicine, and sociology.

4. The major justification social scientists have for requesting participation in a study is thatA. 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.

ANSWER: B.The major justification the social scientists

has for requesting participation in a study is that it may help all humanity.

5. The controversy surrounding Laud Humphreys’ study of homosexuals suggests that he most violated which of the following ethical principles?A. anonymity and confidentialityB. harm to subjects and data reporting without identificationC. concealed identify or researcher and anonymityD. harm to subjects and anonymity

ANSWER: D.The controversy surrounding Laud

Humphrey’s study of homosexuals suggest that he most violated the ethical principle of harm to subjects and anonymity.

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.

ANSWER: A.The following is not a difference between

ethical and political aspects of social research: Ethical considerations are more objective than political considerations.