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SociologyIs Sociology right for me?The sociology major will provide you with some tools and a lot of information in order for you to think about and understand your social world more objectively. Sociology is the systematic study of human groups and social behavior. As a student, you will develop a sociological imagination - an awareness of the relationship between the individual and the wider society. Sociologists use scientific methods and sociological studies to debunk commonly held stereotypes about certain groups in society. Sociologists try to explain the impact of socialization on certain problem behaviors in society - like getting pregnant as a teenager, or shooting a stranger for no apparent reason, or repeating patterns of domestic abuse from one generation to the next. Sociologists try to explain the behavior of social structure - like why construction workers have children who become construction workers, or why two bystanders are more likely than someone from a crowd to assist you if you need help on a public street corner, or why some countries are poorer than others in the global economy. If these questions seem interesting, you will feel at home as a sociology major. Sociology professors teach you the necessary tools to challenge your values and your own stereotypes so that they are based on fact and not fiction or fear of the unknown. These are not always the easy answers or the most time efficient. For those of you who go on to become voters and even policymakers, it's important to think about issues from the head rather than from the gut. In order to define real solutions to our social problems, you have to understand the truths about the groups of people at hand. The introductory course in sociology will provide you with a survey of the field and help you make the decision about whether or not sociology is for you. The knowledge and skills that you will gain in the introductory-level course will be useful even if you choose a different major. Doing an internship in sociology with a public agency, a non-profit organization, or a market research firm will provide you with enough experience to know if you will enjoy practicing sociology once you graduate. This experience will also make you more attractive as you enter the professional job market upon graduation. What kind of jobs can I get after college?An undergraduate degree in sociology is a valuable liberal arts major which trains students to do well in a variety of fields. Many graduates are employed in the helping professions (counseling, family planning, social welfare programs), in business and market research, in international organizations, and in a wide-range of local, state, and federal government positions. Those with the undergraduate degree in sociology are generally employed in positions without the title "sociologist," which speaks to the breadth of marketability and usefulness of the undergraduate degree. The sociology major provides an advantage over other liberal arts majors because it combines scientific methods with the humanist tradition. You will gain knowledge in specific course areas such as the sociology of families, communities, and organizations, and you will learn social research design, statistics, and data analysis. These will be useful as you enter the job market. In addition, the undergraduate sociology degree provides critical thinking skills and a body of knowledge, both of which are useful for those who wish to enter law, business, medicine, community planning, architecture, and politics. In other professional schools such as urban planning and social work, sociology courses are often a part of the requirements. Sociology also can serve as a complement to your undergraduate studies or as a base of knowledge for further professional training. Sociology is an excellent "double major" with business, social work, education, criminology, women's studies, and international studies. Sociology undergraduates may use their knowledge as a foundation to enter other fields, or may continue with their studies at the M.A.- or Ph..D.-level in order to become applied sociologists working as public policymakers, analysts, and managers, or perhaps the next generation of sociology professors.
Check out the career profiles on the American Sociological Association (ASA) web site, www.asanet.org, and you will learn how a major in sociology can lead others into many interesting fields. If you are interested in reading more about what positions undergraduate majors in sociology take, the following publications may be ordered from the ASA website:
What courses do I need to take?The undergraduate sociology major differs from college to college, and is defined by the expertise of a college's faculty. Across sociology programs, undergraduate majors tend to take the following core courses: introduction to sociology, social problems, race/ethnicity, stratification, research methods, social statistics, and social theory. If you take the generalist option in sociology, you will probably take these core courses in the following: social inequality, demography, gender, sociology of the family, and comparative sociology. Some undergraduate sociology programs may offer distinct areas of specialization for undergraduates, such as criminology, demography, methods, or international/comparative sociology. If you specialize in criminology, you will take the core curriculum and a range of courses such as the sociology of law, deviance, criminology, criminal justice, and perhaps a senior capstone course in crime and delinquency. The core sociology curriculum will provide you with a broad base of knowledge and the critical analysis skills to understand social life through an objective, scientific lens. Developing a specialization will make you more marketable for specific types in the labor market. Key Words-What is a Sociology major expected to know?Every field has its own lingo, and by knowing that lingo, you can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise‹in a job interview, in the workplace, or in an online discussion with potential colleagues. A few of the most important key words in the field of sociology are presented here to give you a head start on your future!
Sociological imagination
Scientific method
Culture
Society
Norms
Social interaction
Social structure
Globalization
Core Skills: What is a Sociology major expected to be good at?People are going to expect you to be able to do certain things well because you are a sociology major. These core skills should help you focus your course work and learning as you progress toward your degree. Take the time to practice and to process information - so you can exceed the expectations the world has for you as a sociology major!
Perspective
Conducting sociological research
Analysis
Research techniques
Writing
Observation
Get Connected!To seek support for your college experiences, and to get a head start on your career, use these links to get connected by learning more about organizations in your discipline. By joining and participating in the professional conversation around the country, you can learn beyond the boundaries of your program. Many of these organizations offer scholarships and awards that can also help you to grow and succeed in your field of study! Student organizations Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the international sociology honor society, was founded in 1921. The purpose of Alpha Kappa Delta has been to stimulate scholarship, not only among members, but also among all students in sociology. Since 1921, over 75,000 scholars have been initiated into the society. There are 447 chapters in the U.S., Canada, China, the District of Columbia, the Philippines, and Taiwan. The society publishes a journal, Sociological Inquiry, and provides several funding opportunities to support research activities. For more information, contact: Marc D. Matre at the University of South Alabama. Professional organizations
American Sociological Association (ASA)
The Sociological Practice Association (SPA)
Regional Sociological Societies Eastern Sociological Association North Central Sociological Association Pacific Sociological Association Southwestern Social Science Association Get Informed!It's a good idea to read more than what your teachers assign, and to branch out beyond the confines of your program. Many college students report that reading current magazines and journals related to their field helped them when it came time to look for a job after graduation. Every field has numerous publications that offer different perspectives and raise important issues. The links below offer a start on your own journey to get informed! Many of these publications offer discounts to students. Magazines and Trade Journals
American Demographics
Research journals and Academic Publications
The Student Sociologist
Footnotes
American Sociological Review
Contemporary Sociology
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
Social Psychology Quarterly
Sociological Methodology
Sociological Theory
Sociology of Education
Teaching Sociology
Sociology in Depth!This is the place to deepen your knowledge of the field. Whether you are a graduating senior, or still deciding if you want to major in Sociology, you'll find here a more detailed overview of the field. What Is Sociology?Sociology is the systematic study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Because human behavior is social, the field of sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from the organized crime to religious cults; from the divisions of race, social class and gender to the shared beliefs of a common culture; from the sociology of work to the sociology of sports; and from the sociology of small-group interaction to the sociology of the world economic system. Sociology provides a range of research techniques that can be applied to virtually any aspect of social life. Through the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods, the sociologist can address the most challenging issues of our time. Sociologists have the tools to understand social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces of social change and resistance, and how social systems work. Overall, sociology is a rapidly expanding field. Some of the popular subfields of sociology today are detailed below.
History and BackgroundThe term sociology was coined by Auguste Comte (1798-1857) to describe the science of human behavior. He believed that a theoretical science of society and a systematic investigation of behavior were needed to improve society. A man of his time, Comte wrote after the French Revolution in the 1800's and feared that the excesses of the French Revolution had permanently impaired France's stability. He hoped that the systematic study of social behavior would lead to more rational human interactions. Comte referred to sociology as the "queen" and its practitioners as "scientist-priests." Adding to Comte's work, Harriet Martineau (1802-1876) and Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) are considered to be major contributors to the discipline of sociology. Also considered pioneers of sociology are Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) for his theoretical work on suicide, Max Weber (1864-1920) for his contribution to the scientific study of society, and Karl Marx (1818-1883) for his laying of the theoretical foundation for the conflict sociological perspective. Sociology's roots lay with three major perspectives: the functionalist perspective, the conflict perspective, and the interactionist perspective. The functionalist perspective emphasizes how parts of a society are structured to maintain society's stability. This theory is attributed to Talcott Parsons, a sociologist writing in the early 20th century. The conflict perspective assumes that social behavior is best understood in terms of the conflict or tension between competing groups. This theory finds its roots with Karl Marx in the 19th century and its refinement with W.E.B. DuBois and C. Wright Mills in the 20th century. The interactionist perspective is a sociological approach that uses small group interaction, everyday forms of interaction, and symbols to understand society as a whole. George Herbert Mead is considered the founder of the interactionist perspective in the early 20th century. Sociologists may use all three sociological theoretical approaches in order to understand the same problem. Looking at social change, we can compare the three perspectives. While both the conflict and the functionalist perspectives analyze society from the macro level, the conflict perspective views social change as taking place all the time and may have positive consequences while the functionalist perspective sees social behavior as predictable and reinforcing. In contrast, the interactionist perspective views social change as being reflected in people's social positions and their communications with others. Sociologists often make use of a variety of methods to understand the same sociological phenomenon. There are also many ways to assess social change in a society. A sociologist interested in examining social change might examine photographs in fashion magazines, listen to popular music, or view prime-time television programming over the course of decades. A more quantitative sociologist may examine the number of females with Ph.D.s over time as a measure of social change. Most importantly, we can count on sociologists to approach the study of human behavior systematically and objectively. Sociology Today Links and ResourcesFollow these links to connect with a world of information about the field of Sociology! The American Sociological Association provides sample course syllabi for a variety of sociology classes. Contact the ASA. Find out which schools offer great programs in Sociology. Further ResearchCheck out these sites to get a great head start on your next research project in Sociology! |
