Sociological Research on Value Neutrality Paper
Sociological Research on Value Neutrality Paper
What is value neutrality?
Value neutrality necessitates sociologists to know their standards and moral judgments, and how to objectively avoid implementing them in their study, teaching, and suppositions. Max Weber defines value neutrality as sociologists’ obligation to categorize and recognize their standards or morals and repress their prejudices and biases when carrying out a sociological study (Hammersley, 2017). Personal values can alter the outline for disclosing research outcomes. Value neutrality does not denote a lack of opinions, it simply denotes that sociologists must endeavor to subdue personal prejudices when examining data. Sociological Research on Value Neutrality Paper
What are implicit biases?
Implicit biases or unconscious bias refer to unconscious typecasts and attitudes that one can display in a workplace setting, school setting, criminal justice structure, and healthcare structure. Implicit biases examples range from groupings of sexuality, gender, and race. For instance, implicit biases may affect how individuals from different races relate. As Ruhl (2020) contends, unconscious bias results from attempts to locate patterns and other factors like culture, upbringings, and culture. Notably, individuals are often unaware of implicit biases despite all of us having our own unconscious biases.
How the concept of value neutrality pertains to implicit biases
Value neutrality necessitates sociologists to avoid personal impartialities and biases. On the other hand, implicit biases refer to attitudes and stereotypes apparent in a work and other settings. Sociologists are required to avoid implicit biases when examining data. Unconscious bias forecasts individually biased conduct (Ruhl, 2020). When sociologists fail to maintain value neutrality, implicit bias sets, which in turn may influence how they conduct research and analyze data. Sociological Research on Value Neutrality Paper
How lack of value neutrality and the presence of implicit biases might be harmful to sociological research
Lack of value neutrality is harmful to research because when sociologists incorporate their personal and implicit biases, they are likely to lose objectivity. Implicit biases misrepresent the framework of disclosing research outcomes. Sociologists who lack value-neutrality omit and distort valuable data, especially if the results challenge opinions, broadly accepted beliefs, or predicted outcomes (Hammersley, 2017). As such, sociologists must avoid implicit bias and exercise value-neutrality when conducting research.
Sociological Research on Value Neutrality Paper References
- Hammersley, M. (2017). On the role of values in social research: Weber vindicated?. Sociological Research Online, 22(1), 130-141. https://doi.org/10.5153%2Fsro.4197
- Ruhl, C. (2020, July 1). Implicit bias. Study Guides for Psychology Students – Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/implicit-bias.html#def