{"id":64368,"date":"2023-12-16T15:59:55","date_gmt":"2023-12-16T10:29:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=ncert-notes&p=64368"},"modified":"2024-09-26T15:29:01","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T09:59:01","slug":"objectivity-in-sociology","status":"publish","type":"ncert-notes","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/ncert-notes\/objectivity-in-sociology","title":{"rendered":"Objectivity In Sociology: Challenges & Anthropological Fieldwork Evolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sociology: Social Realities through Scientific Methods<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Sociology as a discipline deals with subjects that are familiar to everyone, such as<\/span> social groups, institutions, norms, and relationships<\/b>. However, sociology is a scientific discipline that places great emphasis on method – the procedures used to gather knowledge. Unlike casual observations, <\/span>sociologists aim to delve into the lived experiences of people<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this chapter, we will study <\/span>sociological research methods<\/b> and will explore the systematic processes that sociologists employ to<\/span> investigate, understand, and analyze<\/b> various aspects of social life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Objectivity and Subjectivity in Sociology: Challenges\u00a0 of Objectivity in Sociology<\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n
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  • Objective vs. Subjective: <\/b>In everyday language, <\/span>‘objective’ <\/b>means unbiased and fact-based, while <\/span>‘subjective’<\/b> refers to individual values and preferences.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Striving for Objectivity: <\/b>Sciences aim for <\/span>objectivity in sociology<\/span>, but it’s more challenging in social sciences compared to natural sciences.<\/span>\n
      \n
    • Example: <\/b>Geologists and botanists must <\/span>avoid personal biases<\/b> when studying rocks or plants, reporting facts impartially.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    • They must report the<\/span> facts as they are<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • Unraveling Bias Challenges: <\/b>However, social scientists study the <\/span>social world they inhabit,<\/b> leading to bias challenges.<\/span>\n
        \n
      • Because sociologists are also members of society, <\/span>they face bias issues <\/b>due to their societal roles and personal experiences.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Even without direct experience, <\/span>societal values and prejudices<\/b> can influence their work.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        How do sociologists ensure <\/b>objectivity in sociology<\/b>? – Methods and Reflection<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
          \n
        • Embracing Self-Reflexivity: <\/b>Sociologists employ <\/span>self-reflexivity<\/b>, where they continuously<\/span> assess their own ideas and emotions<\/b> regarding their research topic.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Adopting an Outsider’s Lens: <\/b>They strive to view their work from an<\/span> outsider’s perspective<\/b>, examining themselves and their research through others’ eyes.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Fostering Perspective Diversity:<\/b> This approach promotes<\/span> the conscious adoption of different viewpoints<\/b>, particularly those of their research subjects.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Transparent Research Practices: <\/b>An essential aspect of reflexivity involves<\/span> meticulous documentation<\/b>. By documenting all procedures and formally citing sources of evidence, researchers <\/span>demonstrate the transparency of their methods<\/b>.<\/span>\n
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          • This practice allows others to <\/span>replicate<\/b> their process, and <\/span>validate<\/b> their conclusions and enable <\/span>self-checking<\/b> and <\/span>refinement<\/b> of their own thinking and arguments.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n

            <\/p>\n

            Additional Information<\/b><\/p>\n

            Despite a sociologist’s best efforts to practice self-reflexivity, <\/span>the risk of unconscious bias<\/b> remains. To address this concern, sociologists openly<\/span> acknowledge aspects of their own social background that could potentially introduce bias<\/b> into their research. This transparency <\/span>informs readers about the potential for bias<\/b> and enables them to consider and account for it when reviewing the research study.<\/span><\/p>\n

            <\/p>\n <\/div>\n

            Challenges to Objectivity in Sociology: Embracing Diversity<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
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            • Navigating Subjectivity: <\/b>In sociology, <\/span>achieving <\/b>objectivity in sociology <\/b>faces several challenges due to the <\/span>inherent subjectivity <\/b>of the social world.<\/span><\/li>\n
            • Diverse Realities: <\/b>Different perspectives exist, leading to <\/span>multiple interpretations of reality<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span>\n
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              • Example: <\/b>\u00a0Notions of “good” prices or “good” food can vary significantly among individuals.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
              • Embracing Pluralism: <\/b>Sociology aims to understand<\/span> people’s beliefs and their reasons<\/b> rather than determine a single correct interpretation.<\/span>\n
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                • Sociology itself comprises various <\/span>conflicting schools of thought<\/b>, making it a <\/span>multi-paradigmatic science<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
                • These competing perspectives coexist within the discipline.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                • Beyond Absolute <\/b>objectivity in sociology<\/b>: <\/b>Consequently, the <\/span>traditional concept <\/b>of absolute <\/span>objectivity in sociology <\/span>is considered <\/span>outdated<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span>\n
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                  • Social scientists no longer believe in the possibility of an “<\/span>objective, disintereste<\/b>d” social science, as it can be <\/span>misleading<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  • Instead, <\/span>objectivity in sociology <\/span>is seen as an <\/span>ongoing, continuous process, not a definitive endpoint<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  • While it is challenging, sociology still <\/span>offers valuable knowledge<\/b>, and <\/span>objectivity in sociology <\/span>is a goal that requires perpetual refinement.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                    \n

                    <\/p>\n

                    POINTS TO PONDER<\/b><\/p>\n

                    Sociology is majorly a subjective field of study. While objective study in sociology is an inspiring effort in better understanding the subject. Can you think of various advantages of objective study of sociology?<\/span><\/p>\n

                    <\/p>\n <\/div>\n

                    Field Work In Social Anthropology: Armchair to Fieldwork<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

                    The Evolution of Social Anthropology: Armchair to Fieldwork Shift<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
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                    • The Era of Armchair Anthropology: <\/b>Early anthropology was marked by the work of<\/span> amateur enthusiasts<\/b> who were fascinated by <\/span>exotic primitive cultures<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span>\n
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                      • These early anthropologists, often referred to as “<\/span>armchair scholars<\/b>,” gathered and organised information about distant communities<\/span> they had never visited themselves.<\/b><\/li>\n
                      • Dependency on Secondhand Accounts: <\/b>They relied on<\/span> reports and descriptions<\/b> provided by travellers, missionaries, colonial administrators, soldiers, and others who had direct experience “on the spot.”<\/span><\/li>\n
                      • Example: James Frazer’s<\/b> influential work, “<\/span>The Golden Bough<\/b>,” and <\/span>Emile Durkheim’s<\/b> research on <\/span>primitive religion<\/b> were entirely based on <\/span>second-hand accounts<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                      • Transition from Armchair Speculation to Fieldwork: <\/b>However, towards the late <\/span>19th century and the early 20th century<\/b>, new anthropologists began conducting surveys in <\/span>first-hand observations<\/b> of tribal languages, customs, rituals, and beliefs.<\/span>\n
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                        • Firsthand Observations in Anthropology: <\/b>This shift marked a departure from reliance<\/span> on second-hand accounts<\/b> and was seen as<\/span> more scholarly<\/b>.<\/span><\/li>\n
                        • The success of first-hand fieldwork<\/b> played a crucial role in solidifying this <\/span>transition in anthropological methodology.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                          Understanding Communities through Census and Genealogy: Census, Mapping, and Genealogy<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n
                            \n
                          • The Dominance of Participant Observation: <\/b>Since the 1920s, <\/span>participant observation or fieldwork <\/b>has been a fundamental aspect of social anthropological training and the <\/span>primary method <\/b>for knowledge production in the discipline.<\/span><\/li>\n
                          • \u00a0Role of Comprehensive Census: <\/b>Social anthropologists typically <\/span>begin fieldwork by<\/b> conducting a comprehensive census of the community under study.\u00a0<\/span>\n
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                            • This involves creating <\/span>a detailed list of all community members,<\/b> including information on sex, age groups, and family relationships.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                            • Methodical Mapping: <\/b>They may also attempt to map the <\/span>physical layout of the village<\/b> or settlement, identifying the<\/span> locations of houses<\/b> and other socially significant sites.<\/span><\/li>\n
                            • Constructing Community Genealogies: <\/b>One crucial technique employed by anthropologists is the <\/span>construction of a genealogy<\/b> for the community.\u00a0<\/span>\n
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                              • This genealogy goes<\/span> beyond the census data<\/b>, as it involves creating a <\/span>family tree<\/b> for individual members and<\/span> tracing their lineage<\/b> as far back as possible.<\/span><\/li>\n
                              • Example:<\/b> Researchers inquire about a person’s relatives in their own generation, their parents’ generations, grandparents, and so on.\u00a0<\/span>\n
                                  \n
                                • This information is <\/span>cross-checked with other relatives<\/b> to create a detailed family tree.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
                                • Kinship Unveiled: <\/b>This exercise helps social anthropologists<\/span> gain insights into the community’s kinship system<\/b>, the roles played by different relatives in individuals’ lives, and how these relationships are maintained.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
                                  \n

                                  Bronislaw Malinowski and the \u2018Invention\u2019 of Field Work<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

                                    \n
                                  • Bronislaw Malinowski<\/b>, a Polish anthropologist residing in Britain, is credited with establishing fieldwork as the distinctive method of social anthropology.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • During World War I, as an enemy alien due to his Polish nationality, he requested internment in the <\/span>Trobriand Islands<\/b>, a British-Australian possession in the South Pacific, where he intended to conduct<\/span> anthropological research<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • This experience became pivotal in shaping his belief in direct, unmediated interaction between anthropologists and native cultures.<\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • Malinowski<\/span> lived in native villages<\/b>, learned the <\/span>local language<\/b>, and closely engaged with the natives for<\/span> a year and a half<\/b>. He meticulously <\/span>recorded observations<\/b> and maintained a daily diary.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • Subsequently, he authored books on<\/span> Trobriand culture<\/b> based on these <\/span>field notes and diaries<\/b>, which are considered classics in anthropology.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • Even before his Trobriand experience, Malinowski believed that <\/span>anthropology’s future<\/b> lay in<\/span> systematic<\/span> first-hand observation <\/b>preceded by<\/span> intensive language learning <\/b>and<\/span> in-context living among the native people<\/b>.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • He <\/span>advocated against using interpreters<\/b>, stressing the importance of direct interaction for producing authentic accounts of native cultures.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • Malinowski’s influential position at the <\/span>London School of Economics <\/b>and the impact of his Trobriand work allowed him to advocate for<\/span> fieldwork’s institutionalisation <\/b>as a mandatory part of anthropological training.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
                                  • This effort helped elevate <\/span>anthropology as a rigorous science<\/b> deserving scholarly respect.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","notes-subjects":[4566],"subject-chapters":[4740],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ncert-notes\/64368"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ncert-notes"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ncert-notes"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"notes-subjects","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/notes-subjects?post=64368"},{"taxonomy":"subject-chapters","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject-chapters?post=64368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}