1. What is Objectivity?

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about the concept of objectivity as it developed in the social sciences during the twentieth century, focusing in particular on: (i) the idea of objectivity in the early twentieth century as a commitment to documenting the world as it really is, not how people think it should be; (ii) the emergence of criticisms of this notion of objectivity in the 1960s; (iii) some central questions associated with objectivity in sociology; (iv) some key perspectives on what objectivity means and its role in social research.

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).