Discursive aspect of the trustworthiness of empirical sociological knowledge

Abstract

The published results of public opinion polls cease to be the subject of narrow professional discussion and become part of public discourse, which reflects the attitude of the non-sociological community to the trustworthiness of empirical sociological knowledge in the form of mass polls. The trustworthiness of empirical sociological knowledge in public space for the general public is determined by the level of confidence in the published data of mass surveys and is achieved by the methodological culture of the surveyor, which is embodied in compliance with all requirements for empirical research, including tools; the level of factual knowledge of respondents; effective participation of pollster-sociologists in the analytical interpretation of the obtained results, reasoned explanation of the answers of survey participants to socially significant questions. Publicity of the customer is also important for polls on electoral and sensitive socio-political issues. Accordingly, markers of the trustworthiness of empirical sociological knowledge in public discourse can be marked out based on two basic criteria: the transparency of the survey and the heuristic potential of the toolkit. Transparency implies maximum publicity of the algorithm for collecting empirical sociological information, including the calculation of the error of the results obtained, the publication of not only the performer but also the customer of the survey. Public information about the performer allows the public to judge his professional reputation, authority, political neutrality, (in) dependence on certain political or business entities. The heuristic potential of the toolkit provides an opportunity to thoroughly explain the results to the public, to clarify the level of factual knowledge of respondents on the subject of the survey. Under such conditions, the surveyor can adequately explain to the non-sociological community possible contradictory results, especially in the case of sensitive socio-political issues.