RACISM AND RESEARCH
The main discussion of the study
The study was supported by the federal government regarding the development of syphilis among poor African American males who reside in Alabama. The purpose of the research was to examine the natural cause of the untreated latent syphilis in African American men in Tuskegee in Alabama (Brandt, 1978). The respondents who had syphilis when they were registered in the research opposing the urban myth that indicates that black men in Alabama were vaccinated with a virus that causes syphilis. Also, in the study, the subjects were given false promises of “special free treatment” that were essentially spinal taps dome without anesthesia.
Results and consequences of the study
Some people and their families were not compensated following the court order of allocation of four years and six months. Also, at the end of this time, 17 participants were not found which means that these men and their families did not get anything equal to the suffering that they endured. There were no apologies from the research institution of medical happened during that period (Brandt, 2000). The impacts of this study were felt at the individual and community level, the U.S government, medical institutions, the respondents, and their families. The study left a negative perspective since there was no compensation to their families and this reminds them of the torture they went through.
Replication of the study
It would not be acceptable for the study to be replicated since the study did not follow the ethical code of conduct that was developed for the purpose of research. In addition, racism is a delicate issue that is being dealt with in the present era. The black men might feel that they are discriminated against the white men. Also, there were no apologies to the men and family affected and the continuous deception that was accompanied by the breaching of the ethical codes were uncovered by the media. Also, some of the children of the families that were affected are still alive and they are carrying the pain of the events that happened during that time. The number of individuals who died was not known since accurate information was not recorded.
Ethical issues
The study violated by the Tuskegee researchers yet they were presumably aware of the codes that govern the behavior of modern researchers. In 1964, the World Medical Association embraced the Declaration of Helsinki which gave more ethical guidance to medical researchers but the Tuskegee researchers decided to violate the rules and regulations put in place in the document and they were also distributed widely in the United States of America’s medical practitioners (Brandt, 2001). Also, over the years, the codes that were created by the American Medical Association (AMA) `were breached by the Tuskegee project and it is essential to write the full degree of these violations.
Application of sociological perspective
Conflict theory
The origin of this theory can be outlined from the classic works of Karl Marx. Marks proposed that all societies go through economic development stages. The societal division into two wide categories of individuals— ‘the haves’ and the ‘have nots’ is advantageous to the production’s owner (Bartos & Wehr, 2002). The workers may only earn subsistence wages are denied the opportunity to have the materials that the wealthy individuals have. In this perspective, the research only benefited the Tuskegee researchers only. Also, the beliefs within the medical occupation about the type of African Americans, actions, and sickness concerned the study and that’s why the health of the whole community was endangered because the disease was not treated. This is viewed as discrimination because only poor African Americans were chosen to act as exhibits in the study. Also, the relevant authorities did not receive a comprehensive report and the doctors who were investigating did not question the morality of the research.
Limitations of conflict theory
This theory stresses the marked differences in changing social classes and the struggles of power between capitalists and working-class individuals. In this study, there was a lack of research since it was limited to black men only. No proper record of information was done which failed in recognizing the number of casualties (Gurr, 1980). In addition, there was also a negative view of the study since it violated many codes of ethics and did not care about the victims’ families and the subjects themselves. In addition, the study used the assumptions of the subjects, therefore, treatment was not offered to them when the experiment ended.
References
Brandt, A. M. (1978). Racism and research: the case of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. Hastings center report, 21-29.
Brandt, A. M. (2000). Racism and research: the case of the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment. Tuskegee’s Truths: Rethinking the Tuskegee syphilis study, 15-33.
Brandt, A. (2001). Racism and Research. Emanuel, E. et al.
Bartos, O. J., & Wehr, P. (2002). Using conflict theory. Cambridge University Press.
Gurr, T. R. (Ed.). (1980). Handbook of political conflict: Theory and research (p. 453). New York: Free Press.