Trends in Data-Based Sociological Practice Toward a Professional Paradigm?

In data-based sociological practice, the traditional role of enlightenment is gradually being incorporated into the more comprehensive model of advisement. Increasing accep-tance of this model is facilitated by legal innovation as well as higher utilization. The advisement model of data-based sociological practice consists of four stages: diagnosis, dissemination, design, and development. Recent trends in each stage indicate that within the epistemological parameters of social science, a methodology is developing of social policy research and utilization. Together, these developments suggest the emergence of a professional paradigm of sociological practice. Enlightenment and Advisement Since the 1960s, we have seen a continuous dialogue in sociological practice about the &dquo;true&dquo; objectives of the profession. Those favoring enlightenment view the practitioner’s responsibilities as restricted to the publication of findings in scholarly journals and books. Other activities, such as participating in problem-reducing policies, are not part of the enlightenment model (Myrdal, 1969; Janowitz, 1971; Caplan, 1980; Weiss, 1978). Radical advocates of the model consider such partic-ipation even morally inferior: &dquo;The task of sociology gets easily lost in the immediate and ’practical ’ involvement of the middle-class job holder,&dquo; Stein and Vidich (1963) argue. In this involvement, &dquo;sociology willingly forfeits to carry out the sociological task.&dquo; Others view socia