4. Alvin Gouldner and Objective Partisanship

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about Alvin Gouldner’s critique of Weber’s notion of objectivity and his idea of objective partisanship, focusing in particular on: (i) Gouldner’s argument that objectivity does not mean value freedom, but rather making evaluations on the basis of universal principles; (ii) his view on partisanship as siding with universal principles; (iii) Gouldner’s place in the tradition of critical research within sociology which argues that sociology should aim to achieve social and political change.

Course

In this course, Professor Martyn Hammersley (The Open University) explores the concept of objectivity within sociology and social research. In the first lecture, we think about the development of the concept from the early twentieth century and some key questions associated with it. In the second lecture, we examine Max Weber’s notion of value freedom. In the third lecture, we look at the objectivist version of objectivity as the adoption of standardised, replicable research methods. Next, we consider Alvin Gouldner’s critique of value freedom and his idea of objective partisanship. In the fifth lecture, we review standpoint epistemology through Sandra Harding’s work on strong objectivity. In the sixth lecture, we explore arguments that reject objectivity in its entirety. In the seventh and final lecture, we conclude with a summary of key debates.

Lecturer

Professor Martyn Hammersley is Emeritus Professor of Educational and Social Research at the Open University. His work focuses on issues in sociological research methods, particularly relating to objectivity and bias. His recent publications include The Concept of Culture: A History and Reappraisal (2019), The Radicalism of Ethnomethodology: An Assessment of Sources and Principles (2018) and The Limits of Social Science: Causal Explanation and Value Relevance (2014).