Theoretical ideas and analysis as the focus of graduate education

An emphasis on theoretical ideas and analysis in graduate education highlights the contributions that sociologists can make to the major issues of the modern world. Such a strategy will bring sociology into a dialogue with the intellectual community and policy makers and will provide a greater degree of focus to a now disparate enterprise. Sociologists can make a distinctive contribution in addressing major social issues if they recognize the rightful relationship between theoretical ideas and research procedures. They have collaborated for several years on issues relating to bureaucracy, higher education, and social theory, with recent publications on a sociologically informed theory of human rights.