Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

Effectiveness of assertiveness and stress management training on family process and mental well-being of female-headed households

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

Masoud Salmani Bidgoli 1
Ameneh Sedighian Bidgoli 2

1 MA in History of Medicine, Department of History of Medicine, Faculty of Iranian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences; Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor in Sociology, Department of Social Studies, Institute for Cultural, Social, and Civilizational Studies, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22035/isih.2025.5307.5028
Abstract
In recent decades, philosophers of science have addressed the question of how science is influenced and shaped by values. This view stands in contrast to the ideal of “value-free science,” which considers the internal involvement of non-cognitive values in scientific practice to be detrimental. Today, however, this ideal has been widely criticized and is regarded as flawed. It is now accepted that values and value judgments intervene in various stages of scientific activity—from decision-making about the selection of research projects to the evaluation and acceptance of scientific results. The significance of this issue is heightened in futures studies as a value-laden science, since it is a pragmatic, human-centered, and inter/transdisciplinary field that seeks to shape and construct the future. Accordingly, this article examines the place and major roles of values in futures studies to clarify which forms of value involvement are legitimate and which are not. To address this question, two approaches are adopted: 1) presenting a typology of values according to their purposes, and 2) distinguishing between the direct and indirect roles of values. These approaches are then aligned with the literature and foundations of futures studies. Attention to these issues can provide futurists with a framework for understanding the ways in which values and their structures play a role, thereby influencing the quality, credibility, and authority of futures studies.


Keywords

Value-laden science
futures studies
value judgments
cognitive values
non-cognitive values

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 09 October 2024
  • Revise Date 31 January 2025
  • Accept Date 28 February 2025

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