Assess the Extent to Which Theories of Modernity Are Relevant to Understanding Contemporary Society. (33 Marks)

Value laden sociology

There are many different versions of ‘truth’ soc research is just one of them, very postmodernist. Can be argued no way of finding it due to ‘house of mirrors’ + relativity of truth

• Becker – impossible to conduct research uncontaminated by values. Not only the research but the underlying theories which are infused with value judgements

• Data collection is social process – values & bias unavoidable in effects of interaction

• Funding, career & personal beliefs make not & shouldn’t be value free

• Marxists – scientific knowledge is the maintenance & legitimatisation of inequality – sociology not value free by supports capitalist interests

Value freedom

• Others argue ‘house of mirrors’ in terms of values still possible to find truth in eclecticism. Taking relativist view is too dismissive in face of some absolutes

• Some argue like Durkheim, outside objectivity of social facts exists which can be measured irrespective of values

• Founding fathers of soc believed objective value-free society was possible & desirable through correct methods, reflecting positivism & gain objectivity though neutrality

• View taken effects methodology dramatically + see it influencing social policy

Values are good ‘committed sociology’

Weber – sociology should be value free & verstehen (slight contradiction in terms + seen in feminism). Best interpreter of human action is someone who has ‘been there’. Interesting in his modernist background

• Claims we should seek to take advantage of our ability to empathise with other human beings. This involved a form of ‘subjective sociology’ that focused on understanding the meanings & interpretations of individual social facts

• Values: guide to research, data collection & interpretation & effects of research can’t be objective

• Needed some objectivity however, created ‘ideal types’. Organisations etc. Should be judged solely on the objective criteria of achieving its goals. Moral problems & value...