To shed light on the social research perspectives which enable people to give coherence to daily events, educational researchers must continually scrutinize the social values and beliefs which underly their research. As social and cultural affairs are explained by the social sciences, so also are theories and methods influenced by social conflict. For example, social studies curriculum developers have recently responded to conflicts in society by developing values clarification, public issues, and citizenship education programs. Also, educators and scholars have concentrated on phenomena which they believed influenced the learning of minorities, including school practices, curriculum materials, community life, and poverty. Because the theories of social and educational research help define the political, social, and educational problems which will be emphasized, researchers must adopt a self-reflective and critical stance when choosing research topics. Further, they need to consider the social and political implications of educational analysis, examine ethical and moral premises upon which schools are founded, and allow for student values and beliefs when developing curriculum. (DB)