If you’ve ever felt conflicted about a lawmaker’s decision and wish it could have been you giving him key advice, you might be a good candidate for a degree in sociology. Professional in this field are researchers of people, systems and behavior. They study how individuals respond to their environment.
As a sociologist working in a think tank or academia, you could have an excellent platform to offer solutions to complex social issues and ineffective government policies.
There are also opportunities for sociologists to engage directly with their subjects. One famous example is Sudhir Venkatesh, a sociology professor and author of Gang Leader for a Day, a study of the residents of Chicago’s former Robert Taylor Homes.
Instead of doing remote research through statistical analysis, Venkatesh went on site to the low-income projects himself. He befriended individuals directly involved in the drug trade in order to develop a close intimacy with how illegal economies function and sustain local communities in the absence of legal employment opportunities.
Venkatesh’s methods are controversial. However, he challenges some common critiques of academics in sociology – namely that their work is too abstract and distanced from the lived experience of their study subjects, and that such gaps make for inappropriate or ill-suited policy recommendations.
Criminologists are a speciality within sociology that have had a large impact on policy in recent weeks. The governor of California recently announced reforms to the state’s burgeoning prison system, reports the San Jose Mercury News. Jerry Brown intends to get rid of the juvenile prison system altogether, and outlined a transfer of state inmates to county prisons. Criminologists had determined that both measures would benefit the state immensely, according to the news outlet.
The employment of sociologists is expected to grow at a faster rate than the national average, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. A bachelor’s degree is essential for any entry-level position, and internship experience is recommended.
Aspirants to the field are expected to use a range of methods of statistical, comparative and historical analysis, according to the BLS. They need to ensure they can write clearly and crisply. Good research skills, which can be developed through coursework in ethnography and anthropology, are essential.
