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Sociologists, unlike economists or psychologists, generally do not perform practical Institutional roles in organized society. Most of them are employed as scholars and lecturers In academla, while only a minority are employed as 'applied sociologists' in business or public organizations; dealing only with narrow questions which interest their employers, which naturally confines them to their employers' perspective. Thus, according to the mainstream literature, their role is essentially technical, acting as 'methodologists', stripped almost entirely from their sociological qualities. However, academic sociologists do not necessarily remain mere producers of pure basic knowledge since a significant number of them have attempted to exert external influence and to advance practical improvements in accord with the findings of and within their fields of studies, which frequently involve engagement with fundamental theoretical questions. Such activities may be termed 'Public Sociology', following mainly C. W. Mills, Herbert Gans and Michael Burawoy. However, the criteria, the boundaries and the qualities of these activities have almost never been examined systematically before. This thesis constitutes an empirical investigation into the qualities of these practical activities among 25 Israeli university scholars with sociological orientation. |
