What is meant by 'reflexivity' and why is it important in sociology?
Reflexivity refers to the researcher's ability to observe and analyse oneself. It involves rigorously and continuously examining one's own ideas and feelings about the subject of research. The sociologist tries to take an outsider's perspective on her/his own work, looking at herself/himself and her/his research through the eyes of others.
Reflexivity is important in sociology because it helps the sociologist subject her own attitudes and opinions to self-examination. By consciously adopting the point of view of others, especially research subjects, sociologists can deal with the possibility of unconscious bias. They explicitly mention features of their own social background that might be a source of bias, alerting readers to this possibility and allowing them to mentally 'compensate' for it when reading the research study.
Explanation
The textbook defines reflexivity as the researcher's ability to observe and analyse oneself. The context explains that it involves taking an outsider's perspective on one's own work and constantly subjecting one's attitudes to self-examination. Its importance lies in dealing with unconscious bias by making one's social background explicit, allowing readers to account for potential bias in the research.