Sociology: Not About You
Mitch Berbrier
Issue date: 2/9/06 Section: News
If you just want to get rich. If you just wish to attract members of the opposite sex. If you prefer to window shop for things that you cannot afford, rather than read or attend classes. If you have little concern about people other than yourself and your family. If you have no interest in how the social world of human beings works - or if you assume you already have a perfect grasp of all that and have nothing to learn.
If you respond unambiguously with a "yes" to most of the above, then just as say "no" to sociology. You will find it insufficiently relevant to you, yourself, and thee. On the other hand, sociology is often a fascinating subject for people who are curious about their fellow human beings, puzzled by them in all their bizarre diversity, or concerned about others' welfare. Simply put, sociology can provide people (e.g. workers, citizens, parents, leaders, and college students) with intellectual tools for understanding "what is going on " and "where people are coming from," and why.
Personally, I came to Sociology by accident. I had already completed a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and was working full time before I realized that I dreaded going to work and feared that the career that I had carefully planned would make me more miserable. So I returned to school. I thought that I was now more interested in understanding the world than purely in "getting a job" (though that, of course, remained important too) and figured that a degree in Psychology would be satisfying. It was only then that I had the chance to take electives in other social sciences. I took a couple of courses in Anthropology, which I liked. And then, one semester, I could find nothing better to fit into my schedule than a Sociology course. For me, that course turned out to be what some people call an "aha" experience - as in "aha, this is the subject I was looking for," or as in my case, "aha, this subject helps me understand what is going on with people."
In trying to understand what is going on with people in society, we generally focus on the role of a variety of "social contexts." This includes things like the culture in which people find themselves (e.g how are men/women generally expected to behave), demographics (e.g. the size of the population that is over 65 years old), and the way power, wealth, and influence are distributed (e.g. are members of one ethnic or racial group much more likely to be wealthy, or become U.S. Senators). Sociologists are therefore less focused, for example, on why Leah cannot find a job, than in the opportunities for employment (or education/training) at a given time and place, or trends in the unemployment rate; and they are less interested in whether Joaquin enjoys his career, than in the working and cultural contexts that make for more or less satisfying lives.
Since my "accident" of bumping in to Sociology, I have learned that my experience is not all that unique; I have heard many versions of it since then. Many people never hear a thing about Sociology before getting to college, or sometimes they hear only negative things: It is a subject that is rarely offered at the high school level and if it is, it is often taught by people without the proper training. Thus, most students who major in Sociology report that they decided to do so only after taking a course. They are often surprised to find that they can like a course that they signed up for only for some practical reason (e.g. fulfilling a GER).
I do believe that the only way to know if Sociology is for you is to take a course in it, but that does not mean that you cannot gather more information before doing so. For more information on this subject and the Sociology Department at UAH, we have produced a series of (FREE) pamphlets, available at our office suite in Morton Hall 344. These include:
(1) Why Study Sociology: A Practical Guide.
(2) Career Information for the Sociology Student. Addresses questions like "What Kind of Job Can I Get with a Sociology Degree?"
(3) Student Advising Guidelines for Sociology. Includes a list of all of the courses we offer and the requirements for a major or minor.
(4) Sociology Courses for Spring and Summer 2006: Updated every semester, this includes more detailed descriptions of courses being offered.
(5) Applying to Graduate School in Sociology. OK, maybe we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves here.
Much of this and other information is also on our webpage: www.uah.edu/sociology.
If you respond unambiguously with a "yes" to most of the above, then just as say "no" to sociology. You will find it insufficiently relevant to you, yourself, and thee. On the other hand, sociology is often a fascinating subject for people who are curious about their fellow human beings, puzzled by them in all their bizarre diversity, or concerned about others' welfare. Simply put, sociology can provide people (e.g. workers, citizens, parents, leaders, and college students) with intellectual tools for understanding "what is going on " and "where people are coming from," and why.
Personally, I came to Sociology by accident. I had already completed a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and was working full time before I realized that I dreaded going to work and feared that the career that I had carefully planned would make me more miserable. So I returned to school. I thought that I was now more interested in understanding the world than purely in "getting a job" (though that, of course, remained important too) and figured that a degree in Psychology would be satisfying. It was only then that I had the chance to take electives in other social sciences. I took a couple of courses in Anthropology, which I liked. And then, one semester, I could find nothing better to fit into my schedule than a Sociology course. For me, that course turned out to be what some people call an "aha" experience - as in "aha, this is the subject I was looking for," or as in my case, "aha, this subject helps me understand what is going on with people."
In trying to understand what is going on with people in society, we generally focus on the role of a variety of "social contexts." This includes things like the culture in which people find themselves (e.g how are men/women generally expected to behave), demographics (e.g. the size of the population that is over 65 years old), and the way power, wealth, and influence are distributed (e.g. are members of one ethnic or racial group much more likely to be wealthy, or become U.S. Senators). Sociologists are therefore less focused, for example, on why Leah cannot find a job, than in the opportunities for employment (or education/training) at a given time and place, or trends in the unemployment rate; and they are less interested in whether Joaquin enjoys his career, than in the working and cultural contexts that make for more or less satisfying lives.
Since my "accident" of bumping in to Sociology, I have learned that my experience is not all that unique; I have heard many versions of it since then. Many people never hear a thing about Sociology before getting to college, or sometimes they hear only negative things: It is a subject that is rarely offered at the high school level and if it is, it is often taught by people without the proper training. Thus, most students who major in Sociology report that they decided to do so only after taking a course. They are often surprised to find that they can like a course that they signed up for only for some practical reason (e.g. fulfilling a GER).
I do believe that the only way to know if Sociology is for you is to take a course in it, but that does not mean that you cannot gather more information before doing so. For more information on this subject and the Sociology Department at UAH, we have produced a series of (FREE) pamphlets, available at our office suite in Morton Hall 344. These include:
(1) Why Study Sociology: A Practical Guide.
(2) Career Information for the Sociology Student. Addresses questions like "What Kind of Job Can I Get with a Sociology Degree?"
(3) Student Advising Guidelines for Sociology. Includes a list of all of the courses we offer and the requirements for a major or minor.
(4) Sociology Courses for Spring and Summer 2006: Updated every semester, this includes more detailed descriptions of courses being offered.
(5) Applying to Graduate School in Sociology. OK, maybe we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves here.
Much of this and other information is also on our webpage: www.uah.edu/sociology.