Why a Degree in Sociology Isn’t As Useless As You Think!

Sociology is the study of social interactions, common culture, race relations and societal constructs.

This field essentially analyses humans at a personal level, taking into account how social, gender, racial, personal, and romantic identity can affect our relations with the people around us.

People who study sociology are known as sociologists. On a day to day basis, sociologists gather evidence of social life in order to understand the governing phenomena that emerge.

This is evidently an extremely important field, but the question remains, is a sociology degree worth your time and effort.

Here are a few reasons why a degree in sociology isn’t as useless as you think!

Why a Degree in Sociology Isn’t As Useless As You Think!

Crucial for social inclusion studies

Research emerging from the field of sociology is extremely important in terms of understanding social inclusion and ensuring increased efforts are put in place for less socially integrated groups and communities.

It was revealed by a government study that individuals from minority backgrounds (BAME) were at an increased risk of contracting the SARSCoV2 virus which is responsible for causing COVID-19 disease.

The study revealed that one of the many reasons why minority groups were catching the virus at a disproportionate rate to their white counterparts was because of lac of social incusion.

Minority individuals experiencing homelessness or immigration problems were amongst the most vulnerable, and were the least likely to have good healthcare access and therefore good prognosis.

There were other overlapping risk factors such as discrimination, stigma and lack of access to other essential services which put minority groups at an increased risk of contracting the virus.

Such studies are extremely important when drafting up plans to tackle social inequalities in the societies we live in.

This can only be achieved after getting a good grasp of the field of sociology!

Highly compatible with university courses

Sociology is a degree that can be combined with another subject to create a joint honours degree!

Joint honours are an excellent way to learn a diversity of topics at university while drastically improving your employability prospects in the process.

Common courses combined with sociology include the following:

  • Sociology and Business
  • Sociology and English
  • Sociology and Geography
  • Sociology and History
  • Sociology and Politics
  • Sociology and Media Communication

If any of the courses above look appetising, do a quick google search to see which universities offer the course and what the job propects are.

Double honours are challenging however you won’t be disappointed with the breadth and depth of knowledge you gain, along with your potentially greater prospects in the job market.

Relevant for modern job roles

In this day and age, being trained to handle social situations effectively will put you up there amongst the best when it comes to getting hired.

There are many emerging groups especially in terms of gender identity, and the old ways simply won’t cut it any longer.

Teachers, workers, and all types of professionals alike must adjust to the new ways of doing this things.

This includes using the correct gender pronouns, respecting and acknowledging safe spaces, and just being generally inclusive.

As simple as it sounds, this can be quite difficult for most working professionals who are used to doing things the same as they did 10 or 20 years ago.

It’s mostly not their faults, however you as a sociology graduate will find it much easier to be inclusive of individuals from different backgrounds.

This is because you will have studied what it means to be socially marginalised, and the effects it can have on an individual as well as a society at large.

You can feel confident in claiming how inclusive you are, and how you may be even trained to handle mental illness and communicate effectively to all types of people.

This isn’t specifically taught on most sociology courses however as you study modules like “The Sociology of Gender”, or “Mental Health and Society”, you may feel inspired to enrol on additional courses to enhance your understanding.

Oriented to the scientific method

Most people consider sociology to be a somewhat “joke type” course.

This misconception is probably drawn from the lack of a clear job path.

This isn’t true as sociology is heavily based on the scientific method.

Many graduates of sociology end up undertaking sociological research duties which involve field work and cultural study.

You may undertake case study research where you will study a small group of people, typically living in conditions that aren’t typical of the larger population.

You may also engage in survey studies where you interview large numbers of people, and collect data via surveys.

This sounds relatively uninteresting however the real work comes when you analyse your results to learn about that particular group to understand why they may be facing an issue.

Both of these are ethnographic in their approach and therefore offer huge opportunities to gain experience for a future career in scientific research.

Statistics approach

Summary

Sociology should never be seen as a useless degree since so many useful discoveries in social behaviour have come from sociologic research. This includes the use of surveys and statistical analysis to uncover certain behavioural and cognitive processes.

Sociology aims to understand the world itself, and how different groups and cultures relate with each other, and how this can have an effect on larger groups.

The implications of the research are far-reaching, and will always be relevant especially in these modern and often changing times.

People are quick to condemn an entire degree as useless without even considering the course content and future implications.

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