Why Sociology?
What is sociology?
Sociology is the study of the organization, dynamics and consequences of social life. The scope of the discipline is as broad and diverse as social life itself. Thus, sociological inquiry examines the dynamics of interaction and relationships, organizations and institutions, and whole societies. The methods of sociological investigation are also varied; sociologists immerse themselves in the everyday life of a group, analyze videotaped interaction, interview group participants, interpret historical documents, analyze census data, and conduct large scale surveys and laboratory experiments. The methods and concepts of sociology yield powerful insights into the social processes shaping lives, experiences, problems and possibilities in the contemporary world. The ability to identify and understand these processes, or what C.W. Mills called the "sociological imagination," is valuable preparation for personal and professional participation in a changing and complex society.
Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time, it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who craft policies and create programs. Sociologists understand social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces for social change and resistance, and the workings of social systems. Sociology is an exciting discipline with expanding opportunities for a wide range of career paths.
In addition to contributing to a liberal arts education, the sociology major prepares individuals for a broad range of career options and graduate and professional studies. Employment opportunities available to the graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in sociology include work in community service organizations and health agencies, government service, human resources, and many other fields. The critical awareness of social life gained in the major also provides a foundation for students planning careers in law, medicine, architecture, urban planning, business, education, or public health. The sociology major also can provide training for students who wish to pursue graduate work in sociology, social welfare, social psychology, or related fields.
Different types of sociology
Sociologists develop their interests in different ways. They pursue diverse specialty subjects within the field as a whole. Thus, sociologists may specialize in families, adolescence, or children; the urban community; education; health and medicine; aging and the life course; work and occupations; the environment, science, and technology; economics, social inequality, and social class; race relations, ethnicity, and minorities; sex and gender; sports; culture and the arts; politics, the military, peace, and war; crime, delinquency, law, and justice; social change and social movements; and any other area of human organization. Willamette’s courses reflect some of these varying interests, as well as research methods and theory building.
Why choose sociology?
It is virtually impossible for anyone to anticipate fully what lies five years ahead, much less ten, twenty, or thirty years.
Because sociology gives students a broad liberal arts preparation, it can be viewed as a solid base for many career paths. A bachelor's degree in sociology provides an excellent liberal arts foundation for embarking on the wide range of career paths that many liberal arts majors pursue.Your undergraduate training in sociology can open a variety of doors in business and the human services. Sociology majors who enter the business world work in sales, marketing, customer relations, or human resources. Those who enter human services work with youths at risk, the elderly, or people experiencing problems related to poverty, substance abuse, or the justice system.
The well-educated sociology BA graduate acquires a sense of history, other cultures and times, the interconnectedness of social life, and different frameworks of thought. He or she is proficient at gathering information and putting it into perspective. Sociological training helps students bring breadth and depth of understanding to the workplace. A sociology graduate learns to think abstractly, formulate problems, ask appropriate questions, search for answers, analyze situations and data, organize material, write well, and make oral presentations that help others develop insight and make decisions.
What you can do with a sociology major
Over 3000 colleges and universities in the United States offer sociology courses. Sociologists enter the corporate, nonprofit, and government worlds as directors of research, policy analysts, consultants, human resource managers, and program managers. Practicing sociologists with advanced degrees may be called research analysts, survey researchers, gerontologists, statisticians, urban planners, community developers, criminologists, or demographers. Some MA and PhD sociologists obtain specialized training to become counselors, therapists, or program directors in social service agencies.
Today, sociologists embark upon literally hundreds of career paths. Although teaching and conducting research remains the dominant activity among the thousands of professional sociologists today, other forms of employment are growing both in number and significance. In some sectors, sociologists work closely with economists, political scientists, anthropologists, psychologists, social workers, and others, reflecting a growing appreciation of sociology's contributions to interdisciplinary analysis and action.
A BA in sociology is excellent preparation for future graduate work in sociology in order to become a professor, researcher, or applied sociologist. The undergraduate degree provides a strong liberal arts preparation for entry level positions throughout the business, social service, and government worlds. Sociology also offers valuable preparation for careers in journalism, politics, public relations, business, or public administration; fields that involve investigative skills and working with diverse groups.
Many students choose sociology because they see it as a broad liberal arts base for professions such as law, education, medicine, social work, and counseling. Sociology provides a rich fund of knowledge that directly pertains to each of these fields. Additionally, Sociologists become high school teachers or faculty in colleges and universities, advising students, conducting research, and publishing their work.
Job opportunities for sociology majors
Given the breadth, adaptability and utility of sociology, employment opportunities abound for BA graduates. Employment sectors include: social services--in rehabilitation, case management, group work with youth or the elderly, recreation, or administration; community work--in fundraising for social service organizations, nonprofit, childcare or community development agencies, or environmental groups; corrections--in probation, parole, or other criminal justice work; business--in advertising, marketing and consumer research, insurance, real estate, personnel work, training, or sales; college settings--in admissions, alumni relations, or placement offices; health services--in family planning, substance abuse, rehabilitation counseling, health planning, hospital admissions, and insurance companies; publishing, journalism, and public relations--in writing, research, and editing; government services--in federal, state, and local government jobs in such areas as transportation, housing, agriculture, and labor; teaching--in elementary and secondary schools, in conjunction with appropriate teacher certification.