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Diverse perspectives
It is important to recognise that there are conflicting views about the importance of ethics in the context of social and educational research, and about how ethical issues should be dealt with. Crudely speaking, we have a dimension here between what might be called ethicist and Machiavellian positions. This division is related, but does not closely conform, to the usually recognised distinctions among methodological approaches adopted by educational researchers.
At the ethicist end of the spectrum are researchers who believe that the people being researched should be given considerable control over the data and analysis. Examples include:
Benjamin, A. F. (1999) ‘Contract and covenant in Curaçao: reciprocal relationships in scholarly research’, from King, N. M. P, Henderson, G. E. and Stein, J. (eds.) Beyond Regulations: ethics in human subjects research, Chapel Hill NC: University of North Carolina Press.
Walker, R. (1993) ‘The conduct of educational case studies: ethics, theory and procedures’, in M. Hammersley (ed.) Controversies in Classroom Research, (2nd edn) edition, Buckingham: Open University Press. [Reprinted from W. B. Dockrell and D. Hamilton (1978) (eds.) Rethinking Educational Research, London: Hodder and Stoughton.]
For a response to Walker’s position, see Jenkins, D. (1978) ‘An adversary’s account of SAFARI’s ethics of case study’ in C. Richards (ed.) Power and the Curriculum, Driffield: Nafferton Books.
Homan, R. (2006) ‘The principle of assumed consent: the ethics of gatekeeping’, in McNamee, M. and Bridges, D. (eds.) The Ethics of Educational Research, Oxford: Blackwell.
Ethicism emphasises the dangers of research, in various respects. Views of this kind have been elaborated by a number of writers, drawing on quite different resources. For rationales of somewhat different kinds that can support ethicism, see:
Christians, C. G. (2005) ‘Ethics and politics in qualitative research’, in N. K. Denzin and Y. S. Lincoln (eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research (3rd edn), Thousand Oaks CA: Sage.
Shils, E. (1959) ‘Social inquiry and the autonomy of the individual’, in D. P. Lerner (ed.) The Human Meaning of the Human Sciences, New York: Meridian. (Reprinted in E. Shils (1980) The Calling of Sociology and Other Essays on the Pursuit of Learning, Chicago: University of Chicago Press.)
Standish, P. (2006) ‘Data return: the place of the given in educational research’, in McNamee, M. and Bridges, D. (eds.) The Ethics of Educational Research, Oxford, Blackwell.
Usher, R. (2000) ‘Deconstructive happening, ethical moment’, in H. Simons and R. Usher (eds.) Situated Ethics in Educational Research, London, Routledge Falmer.
At the machiavellian end of the spectrum, not very vociferous today, are those who emphasise that if research is to be done effectively, particularly qualitative research in natural settings, and especially where the researched are powerful, then covert strategies and other kinds of deception are probably unavoidable. For this point of view, see:
Douglas, J. D. (1976) Investigative Social Research, Beverly Hills CA: Sage. See also the chapter by Douglas in Klockars, C. B. and O’Connor, F. (eds.) (1979) Deviance and Decency, Beverly Hills CA, Sage, and the contrasting position taken by Reiman in his chapter.
Lehman, T. and Young, T. R. (1974) ‘From conflict theory to conflict methodology: an emerging paradigm for sociology’, Sociological Quarterly, 44, 1, pp 15-28.
A more recent, less extreme view can be found in:
Punch, M. (1986) The Politics and Ethics of Fieldwork: Muddy boots and grubby hands, New York: Sage.
Punch, M. (1994) ‘Politics and ethics in qualitative research’, in Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y. S. (eds.) Handbook of Qualitative Research, (1st edn), Thousand Oaks CA: Sage. [Reprinted in Denzin, N. K. and Lincoln, Y. S. (eds.) (1998) The Landscape of Qualitative Research: theories and issues, Thousand Oaks CA: Sage.]
Also see:
Penn, R. and Soothill, K. (2007) 'Ethical issues in social inquiry: the enemy within?', Qualitative Researcher, Issue 6, September. (available at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/socsi/qualiti/QualitativeResearcher/QR_Issue6_Sep07.pdf).
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