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Professional Social Science: Responsible as Well as Respectable?
Author(s) -
Bottomley W. J.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.1974.tb00527.x
Subject(s) - project commissioning , perspective (graphical) , sociology , publishing , public relations , social change , social science , middle class , social science education , engineering ethics , environmental ethics , political science , science education , pedagogy , engineering , law , philosophy , artificial intelligence , computer science
Acceptable professional behaviour for social scientists has strayed from traditional ideals. Among other reasons, the predominantly middle‐class world view of most social science professionals has contributed to a narrow perspective on social matters which often leaves prevailing societal assumptions unchallenged. The emerging vision of a socially responsible role for social scientists calls into question many currently accepted aspects of professionalism, and the paper argues for a change of emphasis within social science to accommodate this new vision within the fold of professional respectability.