Howard Becker, a micro-sociologist, claimed that the most important question a r

Question

Howard Becker, a micro-sociologist, claimed that the most important question a researcher can ask of themselves before they start their research is, “whose side are we on?” Unpack this statement, what do you think Becker is trying to convey to future researchers? Why is it important for researchers to question their sense of objectivity when they form their research question and choose their methods? How can our point of view as a researcher impact how others see the social world? Is this equally important for interpretive and scientific researchers? Why? Why not? How is choosing sides statement related to Weber’s concept of Verstehen?

Explanation / Answer

Becker wrote a very well known and oft-cited paper that though unintended settles the dilemma once and for all that the social science and its exploration is impossible without sympathies be it personal or political.So Becker relieves us of the problrm to be unreasonably objective and instead contend that the question to seek the answer is to settle that the side we are on and our research finding must not in any way colour our conclusions of our findings.

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