I think that the sociologist have a responsibility to study corruptions in the society as it contribute largely for the functions of the social system.

It is too general to say that there is low interest in corruption studies in developing countries. For example - below the report you could see several survey sources and data sets: http://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/the-philippines

I could also advise you to check the Human development index of UN and transparency international studies: https://www.transparency.org/news/feature/asia_pacific_fighting_corruption_is_side_lined

Thanks for sharing Ekaterina. But I mean sociological studies. This has been recognized in Sociology. Please read this article Article Sociology of Corruption and ‘Corruption of Sociology’Evaluat...

Thanks, F.O. Farid for sharing your answer. Fear can be a dominant psychological factor why few sociologists undertake corruption study. But there are other major obstacles in studying corruption in sociology. You can read this chapter citing Prof. Alatas on sociology and corruption.Chapter Corruption and the Nonenforcement of the Optical Media Law

VOB,

Funding for such studies? I would surmise that in areas of corruption there lacks the monies (resources) to fund a sociological study. Reporters are often arrested or murdered for looking into corruption (and their budgets are much less expensive). IMO these are major obstacles.

Cheers,

Christopher

I think that the sociologist have a responsibility to study corruptions in the society as it contribute largely for the functions of the social system.

Thanks Christopher and Pannilage for adding your answers. Funding can be a problem but there are public and private agencies that can fund corruption research. Difficulty of gaining access to sensitive data is a major problem. It's true that corruption research can be risky, but sociologists have responsibilities to enter the battle zone of corruption to address social inequality! Cheers!

They are performing their duties well. It may help in reducing corruption in developing countries.Corruption is a cancer for a community. certain death

Thanks Mushtaq for sharing your insight. Corruption is indeed a "cancer" in society. But sociologists are careful in using it as it is considered a value-laden term for positivist sociologists. Cheers!

I recommend that you look for the work of Ruth Sautu in Argentina. She is at the University of Buenos Aires.

The fear of unknown and corruption its self. I had course to undertake a small study on corruption in the health sector of my state (Niger) in Nigeria some fifteen years ago, as a reporter to a state owned newspaper. What I experienced during that research, made me conclude that people fear that writing on corruption is equal to 'dancing on a stage where angels dare not'. I remember a particular medical doctor, after abusing me and almost hitting me said ' cant you write on more productive topics that will better the lot of our people than venturing into areas that could...even harm you... as a young man you supposed to think more positively of your future...

Also, data on corruption is not easy to come by because of corruption itself, Records are destroyed and individuals who 'know much' are also eliminated when ever they decide to talk. However, as a sociologist, corruption is something I hate and want being studied. Doing so will in the long run assist in reducing it.

Thanks for sharing your insight, Usman! There is always the fear of persecution by corruptors who are usually powerful in society. Access to data can be difficult as corrupt people destroy their trail. In the Philippines, the corruption in the Bureau of Customs is prevalent but no scientific study has been done yet to understand its process. If the aim of the sociologists to study corruption is academic, i.e., knowing it for the advancement of knowledge, the sociological study may not be risky as the purpose is not to expose corrupt individuals but corrupt systems. Of course, the sociologists can opt to become reformers after doing their studies. Cheers!

Thanks a lot, Prof. Flaherty for your recommendation! I'll look into it. cheers!

Corruption is in all areas of the world - the obvious When a developing Country is corrupted its due to its leadership and the corruption is new with reporting documents, documentation and trails don’t show up right away. Holding people accountable is a different story vía policies That is something many people do not do. The research on policies and holding accountability is very hard to do - there is oId politics that hide from those policies because in general people don’t know them and believe the leaders/politians are abiding - when in all actuality they are using antiquated general policies that don’t work for the people. Believe me I know, I’m working on a project that reflects this! Wish i could give details but so long winded...

To the extent that researchers from wealthier nations might collaborate in such studies, these researchers might fear that they will be denounced as culturally insensitive or as assuming an offensive attitude of moral superiority. I was impressed when a Danish speaker on a panel on corruption in East European nations, started his remarks by mentioning a recent corruption scandal in Denmark. Then he asked why only Eastern European nations were the subject of the panel. Perhaps someone or some team could compare corruption scandals in two or more nations -- with one of the nations being more powerful and wealthy

Thanks Jodilynn and Barbara for sharing your observations and insights on corruption in developing countries and Eastern European nations. Indeed, it is difficult to gather data for this type of study as corrupt people usually have vast resources and political connections to hide their crime. Cheers!

Thank you all for sharing your views. People do destroy evidences and also eliminate the links which the corruptors fear of leakage of information.They live in fear of being flashed out by media. But every researchers are not the press people. Researchers are surely academic hence they study trends to find out inherent theories. What I feel, the case laws of such cases in judiciary are public records hence they are easily accessible. Such case records can produce facts that lead researchers to jot a theory underlying. I will not be surprised to see that the persons in-charge of checking and investigating corruption cases take the privilege of doing corruption. If Corruption is doing a favour or disfavour to a person against a consideration, then the cases are not limited to developing countries alone.

Thanks Anuja for your insightful answer. Yeah, case laws can important sources of data for corruption studies and the studies of sociologists are more academic and knowledge production on how corruption works, hoping that policymakers and public officials can learn from research studies and fight corruption. Yeah, investigators and authorities investigating corruption can be involved also in corruption by not taking enforcement action, connivance with corrupt people, and accepting protection money or bribe from the corrupt. Cheers!