ABSTRACT
Medicine, agronomy, and engineering are prototypical exam ples of professions which have a basis in scientific knowledge. Many others, such as dentistry, optometry, meteorology, nurs ing, management, forestry, are, in Glazer’s words,
Under the model of Technical Rationality, practitioners of these professions are seen as technical problem solvers. Physi-
cians use techniques of diagnosis and treatment based on the physiology of disease. W ith research-based theories and tech niques, agronomists solve problems of agricultural productivity, soil erosion, plant disease, and insect control. Production engi neers use theories and techniques of statistical analysis and op timization to solve problems of product quality and production efficiency. Construction engineers apply the results of research on soil conditions and building structures to select types of building foundations.
