Ethics in Social Research

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

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THE ETHICS ANDPOLITICS OF SOCIALRESEARCH



Chapter Outline

Ethical Issues in Social Research

Two Ethical Controversies

The Politics of Social Research

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Ethical Issues in SocialResearch Ethical #$e%ster&s' ( Confor)in* to the

stan+ar+s of con+uct of a *ivenprofession or *roup,



-oluntar. Participation No one shoul+ %e force+ to participate,

/alance of science an+ ethics0

Possi%le0



No Har) to the Participants People %ein* researche+ shoul+ never %e

in1ure+ #ph.sicall.2 )entall.2 e)otionall.2

sociall.2 ps.cholo*icall.',

E3a)ples4 Tus!e*ee S.philis Stu+.2Stanfor+ Prison E3peri)ent

Possi%le to eli)inate 5667 of ris!0



Infor)e+ Consent ( A nor) in whichsu%1ects %ase+ their voluntar. participationin research pro1ects on a full un+erstan+in*

of the possi%le ris! involve+,

Sources of har)



Anon.)it. an+ Confi+entialit. Anon.)it. ( 8uarantee+ in a research

pro1ect when neither the researchers nor

the rea+ers of the fin+in*s can i+entif. a*iven response with a *iven respon+ent,

Confi+entialit. ( 8uarantee+ when the

research can i+entif. a *iven person&sresponses %ut pro)ises not to +o sopu%licl.,



Deception Deception within social research nee+s to

%e 1ustifie+ %. scientific or a+)inistrative

concerns,

De%riefin* ( Interviewin* su%1ects to learna%out their e3perience of participation in

the pro1ect,



Anal.sis an+ Reportin* Ethical o%li*ation to collea*ues in the

scientific co))unit.,

All results )ust %e reporte+ #positive an+ne*ative',

All li)itations )ust %e a+)itte+,



Institutional Review /oar+s ( A panel offacult. who review all research proposalsinvolvin* hu)an su%1ects so that the.

can *uarantee that the su%1ects& ri*htsan+ interests will %e protecte+, E3ceptions



Professional Co+e

of Ethics



Two Ethical Controversies

Trou%le in the Tearoo) ( Lau+ Hu)phre.s Stu+ie+ ho)ose3ual activities in pu%lic

restroo)s in par!s Researcher %eca)e intereste+ in the lives of

participants Researcher volunteere+ to %eco)e 9watch:ueen;

Researcher collecte+ personal infor)ationa%out the participants #license nu)%ers of

cars'

$hich ethical issues are in :uestion0



O%servin* Hu)an O%e+ience ( Stanle.<il*ra) Participants i)itate+ a la%orator.=%ase+

$orl+ $ar II controvers. Participants were assi*ne+ 1o% of 9teacher;

( to teach a list of wor!s to the 9pupil,; Ifthe pupil *ot the wor+ wron*2 the teacherwoul+ a+)inister increasin* levels ofshoc!s to the pupil,

$hich ethical issues are in :uestion0



The Politics of Social Research

The ethics of social research +eal )ostl.with the )etho+s e)plo.e+,

Political issues ten+ to center on the

su%stance an+ use of research,

There are no for)al co+es of accepta%le

political con+uct2 while there are for)alco+es of con+uct for social research,



O%1ectivit. an+ I+eolo*. Science achieves objectivity throu*h

intersu%1ectivit.,

$e%er #5>?@'4 sociolo*. nee+s to %eunencu)%ere+ %. personal values if it is to)a!e a special contri%ution to societ.,



Race

Se3ual research

Census



Politics with a Little 9p; Social research in relation to conteste+

social issues cannot re)ain antisepticall.

o%1ective,



Politics in Perspective5, Science is not untouche+ %. politics,

?, Science +oes procee+ in the )i+st of politicalcontrovers. an+ hostilit.,

, An awareness of i+eolo*ical consi+erationsenriches the stu+. an+ practice of socialresearch )etho+s,

B, $hereas researchers shoul+ not let their own

values interfere with the :ualit. an+ honest.of the research2 this +oes not )ean thatresearchers cannot or shoul+ not participate inpu%lic +e%ates,



Source4

/a%%ie2 Earl # ' The Practice of SocialResearch



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5, is a nor) in which su%1ects %asetheir voluntar. participation in researchpro1ects on a full un+erstan+in* of the

possi%le ris!s involve+,A, Research participation

/, The Hawthorne effect

C, Infor)e+ consentD, The co+e of ethics



ANSWER: C.

Infor)e+ consent is a nor) in whichsu%1ects %ase their voluntar.

participation in research pro1ects on afull un+erstan+in* of the possi%le ris!sinvolve+,



?, Thou*h the nor) of voluntar.participation is i)portant2 it is often

A, 1ustifia%l. violate+

/, not receive+

C, i)possi%le to follow

D, all of the a%ove



ANSWER: D.

Thou*h the nor) of voluntar.participation is i)portant2 it is often

1ustifia%l. violate+2 not receive+2 an+i)possi%le to follow,



, Ethics are not a consi+eration in whichone of the followin* fiel+s of research0

A, natural sciences

/, ps.cholo*.

C, )e+icine

D, sociolo*.

E, None of the a%ove ( the. all re:uireethical consi+erations,



ANSWER: E.

Ethics enters in all of these fiel+s4 naturalsciences2 ps.cholo*.2 )e+icine2 an+

sociolo*.,



B, The )a1or 1ustification social scientistshave for re:uestin* participation in a stu+. isthat

A,

it )a. help the respon+ent,/, it )a. help all hu)anit.,

C, it )a. help the social scientist,

D, it )a. help *overn)ent officials )a!e

polic. +ecisions,E, it )a. help i)prove the e+ucationals.ste),



ANSWER: B.

The )a1or 1ustification the social scientistshas for re:uestin* participation in a

stu+. is that it )a. help all hu)anit.,



@, The controvers. surroun+in* Lau+Hu)phre.s& stu+. of ho)ose3ualssu**ests that he most violate+ which of

the followin* ethical principles0A, anon.)it. an+ confi+entialit.

/, har) to su%1ects an+ +ata reportin*without i+entification

C, conceale+ i+entif. or researcher an+anon.)it.

D, har) to su%1ects an+ anon.)it.



ANSWER: D.

The controvers. surroun+in* Lau+Hu)phre.&s stu+. of ho)ose3uals

su**est that he most violate+ the ethicalprinciple of har) to su%1ects an+anon.)it.,



, $hich of the followin* is not a +ifference%etween ethical an+ political aspects of socialresearch0A, Ethical consi+erations are )ore o%1ectivethan political consi+erations,/, Ethical aspects inclu+e a professional co+eof ethics2 whereas political aspects +o not,C, Ethics +eal )ore with )etho+s2 whereas

political issues +eal with su%stance,D, Ethical nor)s have %een esta%lishe+2whereas political nor)s have not %eenesta%lishe+,



ANSWER: A.

The followin* is not a +ifference %etweenethical an+ political aspects of social

research4 Ethical consi+erations are)ore o%1ective than politicalconsi+erations,

Ethics in Social Research

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