7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 1/32

THE ETHICS ANDPOLITICS OF SOCIALRESEARCH

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 2/32

Chapter Outline

Ethical Issues in Social Research

Two Ethical Controversies

The Politics of Social Research

uic! ui"

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 3/32

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

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

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 4/32

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

  /alance of science an+ ethics0

  Possi%le0

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 5/32

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

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 6/32

  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)

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 7/32

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.,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 8/32

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,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 9/32

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+,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 10/32

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

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 11/32

Professional Co+e

of Ethics

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 12/32

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

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 13/32

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

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 14/32

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,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 15/32

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.,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 16/32

  Race

  Se3ual research

  Census

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 17/32

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

social issues cannot re)ain antisepticall.

o%1ective,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 18/32

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,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 19/32

Source4

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

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 20/32

uic! ui"

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 21/32

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

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 22/32

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+,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 23/32

?, 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

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 24/32

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,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 25/32

, 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,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 26/32

ANSWER: E.

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

sociolo*.,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 27/32

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),

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 28/32

ANSWER: B.

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

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

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 29/32

@, 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.

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 30/32

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.,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 31/32

, $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+,

7/17/2019 Ethics in Social Research

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/ethics-in-social-research 32/32

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,