Research for research's own sake?

Of late I have come to question much of what I know, or suppose to know, about Geography as a research area. Through my own reading, research and interaction with fellow Geographers, and those who work outwith this area, I had concluded that Geography in it's various guises (economic, social, cultural, marxist, feminist, post-radical, to name but a few sub-disciplines) is a socio-economic meltingpot; a crossroads of sorts, linking and interconnected with every other research area imaginable by virtue of the simple fact that all human activity and endevour is spacial. I used to imagine Geography, or rather the action of 'doing' Geography, was part of an over-arching project of information desemination, and aiming toward greater social justice. But gradually I have come to loose my faith in the reality of this project: much of what I read seems to be research for research's own sake. There is a lot of highlighting of problems and inequity, but very few 'solutions' or blue-prints for progress being advanced: for example, I recently read a paper discussing the issue of reflexivity in research which made me really think about how inward-looking Geography as a discipline has become. It is all very well to think about research methodology, but there are much, much bigger issues at stake. Where has the radical streak of the 1960s-70s gone; where is the revolutionary fire? In other words - where does the minuta of research methodology impact upon social justice?

I am not saying, any means, that research into methodology hasn't got a place in geographical research - indeed in terms of helping us regulate research and maintain the rigour we strive towards, it is very helpful - but somewhere along the line we have lost our way and become bogged down in the detail, rather than striving toward changing the big picture. Especially as an undergrad I noticed that the 'teaching' within the Geography and Politics was just that - teaching: we were not encouraged to think radically and engage in the discourse studied: we were encouraged to examine the debates and know the relative strengths and weaknesses of each facate, but not to think beyond the discourse and actually engage with the 'big picture'.

As an MSc student I question the validity of my own reasearch: Why am I interested in ethics and retail, and who will my research benefit, either directly or indirectly? To the best of my knowledge; I have no idea, and no one seem to be the answers. I'm not even sure I can write my dissertation as part of a wider debate on life styles vs. 'moral duty': my research skills are just not up to the challenge, nor do I really think that I have sufficient insight to make my research relavent in any other sector. Ultimately I feel a bit like I am standing at the cross-roads of research, but with no where to go: just standing there seems to have become an end in itself.