Values in Evaluation and Social Research

by Ernest R. House, Kenneth R. Howe

Overview

The 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761911555
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	08/03/1999
Series:	Evaluation Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.38(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Problem of Values
PART ONE: VALUE CLAIMS
Facts and Values
Evaluative Reasoning
PART TWO: CRITIQUES OF OTHER VIEWS
The Received View
The Radical Constructivist View
The Postmodern View
PART THREE: DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRATIC EVALUATION
The Deliberative Democratic View
Good Practice
Conclusion
The Role of Evaluation in Society

Editorial Reviews

"This book, as the title promises, unfurls the concept of value in the practice of program evaluation. The editors go well beyond recognizing that all data gathering and description are value laden and that all evaluators have value commitments shaping thei designs. They examine the ethical and political burdens accompanying any evaluation contract. Out of an extended collaboration, Kenneth R. Howe and Ernest R. House together redirect their advocacy toward the pursuit of democracy."

Robert E. Stake

Attempts to reconcile evaluation theory with general currents in contemporary philosophy, by focusing on the infamous fact-value dichotomy, an unresolved issue central to evaluation. Looks at how this issue is addressed in philosophy currently, applies these insights to evaluation theory, and adds original analysis. Emphasis is on evaluation theory rather than practice, although implications for practice are discussed in the context of existing practices. Insights on evaluation presented here also apply to educational and social research. The authors are professors of education at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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