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The code of ethics that is adhered to by the American Sociological Association discusses the rules and standards that sociologists must live by in their research and work in general. The rules that are talked about in the code of ethics should be carefully considered when facing each individual task they come across in their work. In the code of ethics there is an intro, a Preamble, a short list of general principles, and some ethical “rules” that are specified. Sociologists are lead by the general principles and the preamble in order to live up to the highest possible standards of sociology. Both the Preamble and the general principles are unenforceable, however, sociologists should always think about them and reflect on them when making decisions in their work. The ethical standards is made up of conduct rules for sociologists that can be enforced. The majority of ethical standards are not laid out super specifically so that they can relate to the different kinds of sociologists and their particular jobs. The ethical standards are not extensive or all-encompassing. Actions or conduct that is left unspecified by the Code of Ethics cannot be considered necessarily right or wrong.
In this article I learned about the importance of ethics in the field of sociology. The website taught me that the Preamble and general principles in the Code of Conduct are essential for sociologists in their work. They should study them and make sure they have a good understanding of them so that they can use them in the various situations and tasks they have to do in their jobs. The Preamble and general principles, although not enforced, should be taken seriously by sociologists because they will help them to make the most ethically and morally sound choices. There are six general principles listed in the Code of Ethics. The first is professional competence which means that sociologists will do only what they are qualified to do and use the necessary resources they need to be successful. The second principle is integrity; this is applied by treating people right in all aspects of their work. The third is professional and scientific responsibility. This means that sociologists will abide by the stricter professional and scientific standards, as well as agree to be responsible for whatever work they do. The fourth is respecting people’s rights, dignity, and diversity which is pretty self explanatory. Fifth is social responsibility; this means that sociologists understand the responsibilities they have to the people and places with whom and in which they live and do business. Human rights is the fifth principle; this entails the idea that sociologists must always be trying to encourage and nurture human rights for every individual in their work and research. The textbook briefly explains this code of ethics. “The ASA Code of Ethics…sets out recommendations for how to avoid bias, adhere to professional standards, and protect respondents from harm(Ferris & Stein, 2018, pg. 65). The book also states that codes of ethics relating to sociology don’t entail strict rules but they are meant to help lead sociologists to making the best decisions(Ferris & Stein, 2018, pg. 63). This is something the website touched on as well.
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