ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of the book. Theoreticians' theory needs application and testing if it is to be part of the social process of science. This book discusses to show that rather than a creative tension between theory and research in sociology, there exists, if not a divorce, at least a separation. It has tried to document and describe the theory-research gap, not to explain it. As Drew and Austin demonstrate a clear grasp of the relevant theoretical issues, their 'failure' to cite Meyer is not a result of conceptual muddle. The book explores on primary concern to establish that theorists have ignored wide ranges of research. If theoreticians work on problems defined by their own tradition and ignore ongoing research, then their work is not part of the scientific enterprise. The book seeks to create a sociological climate in which further enquiry along the same lines would be outmoded.
