Coping with Communicentric Bias in Knowledge Production in the Social Sciences

The authors examine several problems posed for emperical and theoretical research by the achievement of hegemony by one culture or system of thought over others. The issue is addressed from the special perspective of social scientists of African American descent who practice in a European /American dominant society. Several highly respected tenets of science, such as objectivity, positivism, and logical consistency, are questioned as to their universal utility when the life experiences, mores, and values of subjects studied are quite diverse. We suggest adapting the design and management of the conduct of inquiry to better accommodate cultural, class, ethnic, and gender diversity under conditions of subpopulation variance and cultural hegemony