Acknowledging Bias in Sociological Theory
In establishing the original principles for sociological research such early theoreticians as Emile Durkheim attempted to create a non-biased viewpoint. Yet contemporary review of sociological theory and methodology has begun to uncover a great deal of previously undetected bias. Over the last century and a half sociologists have begun to recognize to what degree their own personality, status, social class, nationality, religious affiliation and gender have influenced their own professional observations. What is emerging in contemporary sociological theory is a dire need to underscore rather than ignore these previously undetected biases. As sociological theory draws close to the twenty-first century, the multiplicity among its own practitioners is beginning to be validated as a potential strength rather than a necessary drawback. This research will focus on how a growing awareness of multicultural dimensions of sociological theorists have dramatically influenced both the construction and interpretation of recent theory.
In attempting to establish a neutralized or value-free zone of reference for sociological thought classical theorists sometimes neglected to factor in how their own unacknowledged assumptions influenced their research. These unacknowledged assumptions tended to influence not only what sociological data they scrutinized but the methodology which was employed. Yet a consciousness of how undetected biases influence sociological theory has not happened overnight. Instead, review of sociological theory over the last fifty years indicates that sociology has been evolving into an increasingly self-conscious discipline.
In Knowledge For What? The Place of Social Science in American Culture Robert S. Lynd asserts that the role of the social scientist has evolved over time. In contrast to the learned man of earlier times who sought to stabilize custom and con...