Everyday Sociology Talk: Majoring in Sociology

Thinking of majoring in sociology? Members of USC's sociology club talk about why they became sociology majors. Click here to learn more about careers in sociology.

Comments

[john Wilson]

It seems that most of these students are majoring in sociology because it is interesting and it will help them in their personal lives. That is good. I hope no one chooses a major that they are not interested in and that has no value for them. I am curious though. It did not seem that they had a professional interest in the field. Am I off base? What do people who major in sociology do? More specifically, what do these students intend to do with a sociology major?

[Rahma R]

Almost all of the students in this video are majoring in sociology because they want to learn more about the human behavior and why people act how they ac.I don't know if the job market for this major is good and this video didn't seem to go too much into possible jobs with this particular major.That would be something i want to know since i am thinking of becoming sociology major.

[Paige Pridgeon]

I think what the students are saying is important. I agree that students need to study sociology more because it would help society interact better together and create better behaviors. But, as John says, I am also confused on what different types of jobs you could get with this major.

[Ryan Story]

Almost all the students are sociology majors because they are extremely intrested in human behavior, and they feel it is important to study the effects it has on people. They seem very passionate about sociology. However, the only thing I can think of that a sociology major can have a career in is a teacher.

[Kumari Deonandan]

The majority of students in this video are majoring in sociology because it is something they really enjoy. I think sociology is something that everyone can get into, because it deals with everyone. Every person makes up the larger picture, so every person matters. It is fun and exciting to learn about the different statistics, see the interaction, and look at things in a completely different manner (as with the sociological imagination). My only worry is, the job market wont have very many "rewarding" jobs. Of course, if you are doing something that you love and have a strong passion for, that is a reward in its self, but what about the survival aspect? What well paying jobs are available? I am a sociology major with a social welfare track. I am lucky that I found something I have a strong passion for in a field that I am very interested in, but what about all of the other sociology majors that are just majoring in sociology. I have tried to do research on the jobs available for this degree, but have not gotten very far. I have a friend who graduated from FSU with a Sociology major, and is working as a bartender because she cant get a job anywhere with her degree. I hope this field can expand and offer better benefits to its following. I fell that it is a very important field to understand and learn about.

[Mindy]

All students are intrested in learning about human behavior in this video. Im not sure what jobs are out their for this field but all these students seem very excited about the sociology field.

[Will]

Sociology as a field, to my knowledge, is primarily academia. So, as a sociology major, I do not want to be an academic, but I am interested in the topic. There you have it.

[Nathan]

I'm actually one of the students in the video, and I've been thinking about the same things you have all brought up. I personally will likely go into academia, but a sociology degree can go much further than that in my opinion, especially if you couple it with some other minor or major. Sociology is a huge field so it really just gives you a way to think about problems, but talking about the real world you likely would need to focus in on some aspect. You could for example go into politics, I actually know someone that recently graduated with a sociology degree and is working in a campaign office in CA. If you go into organizational sociology you could work as a corporate consultant, I was actually hired for an ongoing project to work with reorganizing a company to reduce corruption for a pretty big company back at home. Then, in the spirit of Sternheimer, there's deviance where you could work with law enforcement and criminology. Really sociology gives you a massive range of job opportunities, but you have to know what you want to get into and start focusing on that, or get your phd. Studying sociology opens your mind to a better understanding of the big picture and how things are related, so adding that to whatever you want to do will at least allow for you to be more creative and for you to be different than the textbook graduates in the specific fields, and lets face it, this society loves the unique and special.

[Shilpa Kenjale]

Good post Nathan. There are various things you can do with a Sociology degree. Like work as an analyst at a market research company (thanks to the training in qualitative and quantitative research) or work in the HR department of any organization. If you major in medical sociology then you can be on the ethics committee of some big hospital. If you major in education sociology then you can get involved in the management of any educational institution. and like Nathan mentioned, organizational sociology can fetch you some good jobs too. Sociology as a discipline can be applied to many fields. its not just meant for academics.. although I am more interested in the academics. Teaching sociology can be satisfying.

[John Dulmage]

Taking this course this semester is like a return to my youth where I was in seminary. I have always been fascinated with human behavior of individuals and groups. Now in latter life, I have entered nursing school and another life transformation. I have discovered many insights about myself since doing so. One of those insights is has a functional social focus viz. all parts should work in harmonious fashion. Another is that nursing should provide compassionate care along with the necessary science while interacting with people under care.Perhaps I should have become a sociologist early in life but I think not because sociology can be used in any professional way of life.

[Elizabeth Randall]

I am a criminal justice major and I am taking this course because I believe that sociology plays a major role in society. Interactions among people and what they do influence our way of life and the changes we make to improve it. Sociological studies help people such as us understand what affects our decisions and how those decisions in turn cause certain consequences. I hope to have fun in this class and improve my social skills. I am usually a quiet person but if I have a common interest or idea I voice my opinion. I love to read and write short novels. My goal for the future is to get a book published, graduate from college and get a second degree in Criminalistics which is mainly the CSI stuff. I believe sociology will help in improving my social skills, as well as opening my mind up to new and interesting ideas.

[lynette blue]

I honestly believe that it is important for all people to involve themselves in some type of sociological training. It helps any individual to involve themselves with others on all levels. It also enables people like myself to better understand and hopefully help those who need it without allowing their cultures, past endeavors, or disabilities get in the way of whatever it is they may need on all levels. I feel very blessed to be able to participate in this class and I can only hope that I will absorb like a sponge and produce to the best of my abilities.

[Chris Bristol]

It is imperative to understand the idea of sociology. This understanding will help people get involved with others in society. No matter the person you are fitting in and becoming part of a group will be possible after understanding the ideas of sociology.