THE PURPOSE OF THE DISCUSSION IS TO POINT TO THE POTENTIAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH (AS COMPARED TO BASIC, NONAPPLIED RESEARCH) FOR DEVELOPING UNIQUE INSIGHTS INTO THE NATURE OF SOCIAL THEORY. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT APPLIED RESEARCH CAUSES RESEARCHERS TO EXPLORE THE FOLLOWING ASPECTS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEORY AND RESEARCH: (1) BASAL AND METATHEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS (E.G., NOTIONS OF HUMAN NATURE AND MOTIVATION) THAT UNDERLY SOCIAL THEORIES; (2) CONCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE, INCLUDING THE ASSUMED PRIMACY OF CERTAIN SOCIAL STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS; (3) THE LINK BETWEEN APPLICATION AND THEORY (AND A FULLER EXAMINATION OF THE RULES OF PROOF AND NONPROOF OF THEORY); AND (4) THE IDEOLOGICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CLIMATE IN WHICH THEORY, RESEARCH, AND APPLICATION EXIST. THESE THEORY-APPLICATION INTERACTIONS ARE ILLUSTRATED IN ATTEMPTS TO APPLY THEORETICALLY BASED CONCEPTS OF CULTURAL DEPRIVATION TO THE SOLUTION OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS OF MINORITIES AND THE POOR IN THE 1960'S. CULTURAL DEPRIVATION RESEARCH AND CRITIQUES OF THAT RESEARCH AND THE POLICIES IT INSPIRED REVEALED MANY ASPECTS OF GENERALLY UNEXAMINED ASSUMPTIONS, CONCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURE, AND IDEOLOGICAL FORCES THAT SHAPE THEORY AND GUIDE ITS APPLICATION. THESE FORCES WERE SHOWN TO HAVE LARGER SOCIETAL BOUNDARIES AS WELL AS DISCIPLINARY BOUNDARIES. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--LKM)