Values in Evaluation and Social ResearchThe authors use the tools of philosophy and the insights from evaluation practice to cut through current confusion about values and the interplay of facts and values. Four views of facts and values in evaluation are analyzed: those rooted in a fact-value dichotomy and those of radical constructivists, postmodernists, and deliberative democrats. The arguments are tough, the prose concise, and the insights compelling. |
Contents
Facts and Values | 3 |
Evaluative Reasoning | 15 |
Critiques of Other Views | 31 |
The Radical Constructivist View | 55 |
The Postmodernist View | 73 |
Deliberative Democratic Evaluation | 89 |
Good Practice | 111 |
The Role of Evaluation in Society | 131 |
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Common terms and phrases
ability grouping accept advocacy advocates African Americans argument arrive audiences biased Campbell Chelimsky chemical warfare cognitive conception of democracy constructions context criteria critical deconstruct deliberative democratic evaluation deliberative democratic view democratic deliberation descriptive determine dialogue disadvantaged disagreement educational emotivist endorse epistemological evaluation theory evaluative conclusions evaluative statements evaluator's example fact-value dichotomy fact-value distinction facts and values findings Guba and Lincoln Hmong hyper-pluralism included interest group depiction intersubjective issues justice knowledge claims major stakeholders means depiction metanarratives moral moral-political objective participants particular perspective philosophy policy makers political positivism positivists postmodernism postmodernists power imbalances practice prescriptive valuing procedures professional evaluation public interest question radical constructivism radical constructivist rational reality reason received view regimes of truth relevant requires role school board Scriven sense Shadish social research society stake stakeholder groups stakeholder views Stronach & MacLure theories of justice undecidability of values value claims wrong Zeno's paradox