Science in Christian Perspective
SOCIOLOGY
Frank E. Houser, M.A.
From JASA 9 (June 1957): 18-19.
However, it cannot be denied that some sociologists
have been and are socialists. And, it can't be denied
that some social theories have been socialistic. Sociology
has, of course, had its share of conservatives. It's pretty hard for any man to remain in the straight jacket of scientific objectivity for long. Outside the laboratory
- and, even inside-he may make all sorts of value judgements from the data that linger in his mind. In fact, he has as readily become an "individualistic laissez-faire, reactionary" as a flaming revolutionary. Remember that Herbert Spencer was the darling of American business interests because his study of soc iety led him to proclaim freedom from government
inferferences. Of course, Spencer's beliefs stemmed from his evolutionary ideas as to the growth and "progress"
of society. All this was "sociology" for Spencer.
The early students of society varied in their ability to keep their objectivity. Comte, Spencer, and Karl Marx showed varying amounts of objectivity-which makes reading them for fact and fancy a demanding exercise. As the study of society became more profes
sional there comes more awareness of the need to approximate the scientific desideraturn
of objectiviity.
For that reason it is fairly common today for a sociologist to reveal his biases when publishing a study of
any social relationships involving conflicting value
orientations. Gunnar Myrdal revealed his beliefs on
the beginning of his monumental work on the
Negro. Seymour Lipset tells his political convictions at
the outset of his book on socialism among Canadian
farmers. Thus, the aim of contemporary sociology from bias in any direction as
it can be.
This still leaves the second question unanswered. Frankly, I don't know what percentage of the members of the American Sociological Society are socialist. If voting Republican is considered a sure sign they aren't socialist, then I suspect they are at least a sizeable minority. However, there are plenty of right wing Repub licans who would never agree on that definition of a non-socialist, If the slightest bit of government con trol over our economic life is considered socialistic, then there are very few
non-socialists anywhere.
Of more interest to me are the currents in modern sociology which have to do with the questions of power,
i mass society, political apathy, and so on. Here, I believe, you will find some very interesting conclusions
being drawn which affect a man's political beliefs. Take, for example, the influential work of David Riseman,The Loneiy Crowd. His depiction of a trend to conformity in our society has hardly led to exaltation of
"groupism." His sequel, Individualism Reconsidered is a series of essays lauding the autonomous man. If socialism has any connotation of welfare for all at the expense of the individual it will get little comfort here. And, on questions of power there seem to be a large number of respectable sociologists who are pointing out that a maximum of freedom for individuals is possible only when we have a "pluralistic" power distribution. In other words, neither the extreme of frag
mentized power nor the extreme of concentrated power
(in government, business, labor, or any group) is
healthy for the development of freedom. These currents of thought are substantial. And, I would conclude that a substantial number of sociologists occupy
a middle of the road position on the relation of power
and freedom. This is hardly doctrinaire socialism.