CHAPTER 3, The Ethics and Politics of Social Research

Chapter Outline Ethical Issues in Social Research Ethical Controversies The Politics of Social Research Quick Quiz

Ethical Issues in Social Research Ethical (Webster’s) – Conforming to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group.

Voluntary Participation No one should be forced to participate. Balance of science and ethics? Possible?

No Harm to the Participants People being researched should never be injured (physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, psychologically). Examples: Tuskegee Syphilis Study, Stanford Prison Experiment Possible to eliminate 100% of risk?

Informed Consent Informed Consent – A norm in which subjects based their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risk involved. Sources of harm

Anonymity and Confidentiality Anonymity – Guaranteed in a research project when neither the researchers nor the readers of the findings can identify a given response with a given respondent. Confidentiality – Guaranteed when the research can identify a given person’s responses but promises not to do so publicly.

Deception Deception Deception within social research needs to be justified by scientific or administrative concerns. Debriefing – Interviewing subjects to learn about their experience of participation in the project.

Analysis and Reporting Ethical obligation to colleagues in the scientific community. All results must be reported (positive and negative). All limitations must be admitted.

Institutional Review Boards Institutional Review Boards – A panel of faculty who review all research proposals involving human subjects so that they can guarantee that the subjects’ rights and interests will be protected. Exceptions

Professional Code of Ethics

Two Ethical Controversies Trouble in the Tearoom – Laud Humphreys Studied homosexual activities in public restrooms in parks Researcher became interested in the lives of participants Researcher volunteered to become “watchqueen” Researcher collected personal information about the participants (license numbers of cars) Which ethical issues are in question?

Observing Human Obedience – Stanley Milgram Participants imitated a laboratory-based World War II controversy Participants were assigned job of “teacher” – to teach a list of works to the “pupil.” If the pupil got the word wrong, the teacher would administer increasing levels of shocks to the pupil. Which ethical issues are in question?

Facebook Study on Emotions Researchers from Facebook and Cornell University manipulated the news feed of nearly 700,000 Facebook users for a week in 2012 to gauge whether emotions spread on social media. They found that users who saw more positive posts tended to write more positive posts themselves, and vice versa. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences earlier in June, but sparked outrage after a blog post Friday said the study used Facebook users as "lab rats." http://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-study-sparks-ethical-questions-1404172292

The Regnerus Controversy A sociologist at University of Texas at Austin, Regnerus gained notoriety after publishing a 2012 journal article arguing that children of same-sex parents faced substantial disadvantages compared to those of different-sex parents. Regnerus’ article made waves because it appeared to buck the trend of three decades of research showing kids with gay parents fare just as well as others. http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2014/03/04/mark_regnerus_testifies_in_michigan_same_sex_marriage_case_his_study_is.html

The Problem(s)? He received a formal reprimand in an audit assigned by the journal that published his piece—he continues to make these groundless claims, knowing full well they are baseless. Regnerus claims to have evaluated outcomes of children “of same-sex parents” and found results are “suboptimal” when compared to children reared by their biological parents. But since Regnerus never actually studied “children of same-sex parents” he cannot make that claim. https://familyinequality.wordpress.com/2012/06/29/200-researchers-respond-to-regnerus-paper/

The Politics of Social Research The ethics of social research deal mostly with the methods employed. Political issues tend to center on the substance and use of research. There are no formal codes of acceptable political conduct, while there are formal codes of conduct for social research.

Objectivity and Ideology Science achieves objectivity through intersubjectivity. Weber (1925): sociology needs to be unencumbered by personal values if it is to make a special contribution to society.

Politics with a Little “p” Social research in relation to contested social issues cannot remain antiseptically objective.

Politics in Perspective Science is not untouched by politics. Science does proceed in the midst of political controversy and hostility. An awareness of ideological considerations enriches the study and practice of social research methods. Whereas researchers should not let their own values interfere with the quality and honesty of the research, this does not mean that researchers cannot or should not participate in public debates.

Quick Quiz

1. _____ is a norm in which subjects base their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risks involved. Research participation The Hawthorne effect Informed consent The code of ethics

ANSWER: C. Informed consent is a norm in which subjects base their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risks involved.

2. Though the norm of voluntary participation is important, it is often justifiably violated not received impossible to follow all of the above

ANSWER: D. Though the norm of voluntary participation is important, it is often justifiably violated, not received, and impossible to follow.

3. Ethics are not a consideration in which one of the following fields of research? natural sciences psychology medicine sociology None of the above – they all require ethical considerations.

ANSWER: E. Ethics enters in all of these fields: natural sciences, psychology, medicine, and sociology.

4. The major justification social scientists have for requesting participation in a study is that it may help the respondent. it may help all humanity. it may help the social scientist. it may help government officials make policy decisions. it may help improve the educational system.

ANSWER: B. The major justification the social scientists has for requesting participation in a study is that it may help all humanity.

5. The controversy surrounding Laud Humphreys’ study of homosexuals suggests that he most violated which of the following ethical principles? anonymity and confidentiality harm to subjects and data reporting without identification concealed identify or researcher and anonymity harm to subjects and anonymity

ANSWER: D. The controversy surrounding Laud Humphrey’s study of homosexuals suggest that he most violated the ethical principle of harm to subjects and anonymity.

6. Which of the following is not a difference between ethical and political aspects of social research? Ethical considerations are more objective than political considerations. Ethical aspects include a professional code of ethics, whereas political aspects do not. Ethics deal more with methods, whereas political issues deal with substance. Ethical norms have been established, whereas political norms have not been established.

ANSWER: A. The following is not a difference between ethical and political aspects of social research: Ethical considerations are more objective than political considerations.