Objetivity in Social Research - Essay Example

Beliefs are the ideas about how really. Through comparison, it can be detected if the beliefs are true or false. But valuations are very complex since they are shifting and contradictory. It can be argued that behavior happens through selective focusing and it is really opportunistic. Besides that, it can be stated that there are higher and lower valuations. Most of the time lower valuations are selfish in the process of rationalization when the individual tries to find good reasons that are not true reasons behind his/her behavior.

So Myrdal argues that "All ignorance, like all knowledge, is an opportunist." Private or personal opinions and public or political opinions are different most of the time. (Myrdal, 1969). 6.- Social research questionnaires should include quantitative questions in which the respondents could not give their valuations about reality. 7.- In order to measure the valuations of the respondents a different set of questions should be conducted for measuring them indirectly.

Myrdal's ideas are very important for the researcher to be taken into account when conducting social research due to the fact that biases and faulty knowledge can be avoided in a systematic way. The issues related to the irrational taboo about the influences of tradition, environment, and personality should also be addressed appropriately by the researcher. Good research should differentiate among the concepts of opinions, beliefs, and valuations. By doing so the researcher can infer facts and policies of real value for the research community.