3. Objectivism

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about objectivism, often known as positivism, as the dominant approach to objectivity in the twentieth century, focusing in particular on: (i) the adoption by objectivists of Weber’s understanding of objectivity as a focus on factual over evaluative matters and the removal of bias from research; (ii) differences between Weber’s and the objectivists’ view on bias and how it can be removed; (iii) the objectivist approach of adopting standardised, replicable methods which eliminate personal biases from the research process.

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).