What
Sociologists Do
People with training in sociology pursue a
variety of different career and research paths. Because “society” is such a
broad field of study, a background in sociology helps support dozens of
different career choices. What follows are several broad areas in which
sociologists frequently choose to apply their skills and interests.
Social
Welfare
Some people pursue degrees in sociology because they want to change society for
the better. They study problems such as poverty, prejudice, and world hunger
and attempt to find solutions. Jobs that relate to these kinds of interests
include:
·
Social
worker
·
Child
welfare worker
·
Adoption
agency worker
·
Foreign
aid worker
·
Peace
Corps/VISTA volunteer
·
Clergy
Crime
and Deviance
Many sociologists focus their research on
understanding the roots of criminal and deviant behavior. Sociologists who
focus on crime and deviance may conduct studies of juvenile delinquents, female
criminals, or other subgroups of offenders. A background in this type of
sociology prepares people for careers such as:
·
Law
enforcement officer
·
Attorney
·
Prison
administrator
Healthcare
An understanding of changing demographics and
culture is essential for keeping members of a society healthy. Some
sociologists apply their knowledge to the field of healthcare. They might take
the following kinds of jobs:
·
Doctor
·
Psychiatrist
·
Marriage
or family counselor
International
Relations and Diplomacy
Maintaining good relations with other
societies is always important. Sociologists who specialize in international
relations must understand the intricacies of how their society interacts with
others. Interest in international relations might lead to such jobs as:
·
Diplomat
·
Public
relations representative
·
Government
communications worker
Education
Many people study sociology because they want
to develop more effective ways to educate a society’s youth or because they
want to continue learning and teaching about sociology itself. Such people
might hold the following types of jobs:
·
K-12
teacher
·
College
professor
·
Educational
policy-maker
It’s important to note the difference between sociology and social work. Social
work is an applied science,
since it is designed to solve a specific problem in a particular setting. Social
work takes the principles found in sociology and applies them to a particular
issue. For example, current sociological research indicates that men are more
likely than women to commit suicide and that white people are more likely to
take their own lives than black people. A social worker might take that
knowledge and apply it to the real world by tailoring suicide-prevention
programs to focus on the needs of white males.
This list covers just a handful of the
possible directions your studies in sociology may take you. As you’ll learn
throughout your sociology course, a thorough understanding of the workings of
society is applicable to an endless number of career paths.
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