Why do sociologists claim their knowledge is better than common views of society and society issues?
How would a sociologisy most likely respond to someone who says " The facts speak for themselves". Statement A or B and support your answer.
A. Because science is objective, the facts are always clear, and therefore, facts do speak for themselves.
B. Facts have no inherent meaning and need to be interpreted.
Thank You!!
I have been reluctant to respond to this because my bias. I am a physical scientist, and our concept of measurement and data is somewhat different from social scientists.
I suspect that most social scientists do consider themselves to be following scientific analysis, and objective, and unbiased towards analysis, which lends to answer A.
My bias tells me that Answer B creeps in when drawing conclusions. Margaret Mead, Kinsey come to mind. You can make your own judgment, but for graded material, I would stick to Answer A, or be banished to the back of the class.
My education was in the social sciences, but I agree with Bobpursley.
It depends on what you mean by "speak for themselves." If you find A > B, there is no problem in saying that A is greater on whatever dimension is being measured. However, when you expand your conclusions, the interpretation is less clear.
Also various studies may contradict each other. Then the facts are not as clear. The data-gathering methods have to be explored to attempt find out why these differences occur.
These articles might be helpful:
http://www.members.cox.net/dagershaw/lol/DecisionTrap.html
http://www.members.cox.net/dagershaw/lol/Prove.Point.htm
http://www.members.cox.net/dagershaw/lol/Coincidence.htm
I hope this helps a little more. Thanks for asking.
Sociologists claim that their knowledge is better than common views of society and societal issues due to the unique perspective and methodology they bring to the study of social phenomena. Sociologists aim to understand society through systematic and scientific investigation, using theories and empirical evidence to analyze social structures, institutions, and behaviors. They argue that their approach provides a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of social phenomena compared to common views, which often rely on personal experiences, anecdotes, or biased perspectives.
Regarding how a sociologist would respond to the statement "The facts speak for themselves," a majority of sociologists would likely choose option B: Facts have no inherent meaning and need to be interpreted. Sociologists understand that facts alone do not provide a complete understanding of social issues. Rather, interpretation is necessary to analyze the contextual factors, historical background, and social structures that shape these facts.
Sociologists recognize that social phenomena are complex and multidimensional, influenced by a variety of factors such as culture, power dynamics, and social norms. They argue that interpreting facts within the broader social context allows for a more accurate and meaningful understanding of social issues.
In summary, while sociologists recognize the importance of factual data, they also emphasize the need for interpretation to fully comprehend the complexity of social phenomena.