18 Nov What, if anything might it mean to study inherently political and/or ethical subject matter in an objective fashion?
Order Instructions
While we’ve had the opportunity many times now to talk about objectivity in a more general sense, as we dive into more empirical down-to-earth case studies for the remainder of the semester, we may want to begin further sharpening our analyses.
Let’s take another look at the concept of objectivity through a series of more focused lenses this week:
1.What, if anything might it mean to study inherently political and/or ethical subject matter in an objective fashion? Is this possible? Is this/should this be a goal?
2.In those cases when a study/research project is strongly connected to political and/or ethical ideas and practices, what responsibilities do scholars and researchers have when collecting and presenting their data/results/findings?
3.In General – should researchers aim to keep ‘the political’ out of their work? Why or why not? Is it possible to do so? Why or why not?
4.More Specifically – Does medical research and practice present a unique intersection of biology and society such that questions concerning objectivity vs. bias become particularly messy? Yes? No? Maybe?
