It’s that time of year again when the new A Level students begin their journey into post compulsory education. Some of my new intake will have seen me prior to starting the new year at open events or interviews, which gives me the opportunity to discuss what Sociology is and get revved up about it as an academic discipline (which really is not difficult at all).
However, if parents / guardians are in tow, then every now and then you get asked that real crunch question:
How useful is Sociology?
I fully understand and appreciate the question as it was something I even had to explain to prospective employers in my previous career prior to teaching. Teaching it appears to some is the only avenue for a Sociology background. But this isn’t the case as I’m sure many readers of this in their own careers can testify.
Now you need to understand that I have a real passion for this subject, having studied it at GCSE, A Level and at Degree Level (with History) with Sociological connections in post Degree studies too. I left my successful previous career to pursue my Sociology teaching ambitions! However it wasn’t until degree level that I ‘connected’ with its subject matter – engaging lecturers that actually knew their subject! Nevertheless I found myself having to explain why I chose Sociology and what I got out of it.
So this is what I personally got out of studying it and this is what I’m happy to tell parents.
There are first of all the skills, and these (depending upon how engaging the teacher is I suppose) really begin to develop quickly at A Level. Critical thinking, analysis, evaluation are key and to some extent, limited to subjects like sociology and psychology etc. I recall when I first entered the labour market and major organisations like M&S and Tesco were recruiting Sociology graduates into their HR departments specifically because of this skill base.
Of course there are other skills Sociology can afford, however for me it was about personal enlightenment. Understanding the mechanics of social organisation and my place in it all, expanding my rather narrow mindset that comes from growing up in a single parent home, on a typically working class council estate. It changed my way of thinking as well as my use of language.
I somewhat tongue in cheek, tell prospective students that Sociology is probably the most important subject there is in our curriculum because of the personal growth that comes from it. As for careers, well unless you specifically want to pursue something very tightly focused that requires a specialist subject qualification, then I believe any avenue is possible. My background is sales and marketing!
So, why study sociology? Because I believe that you will come out the other end a more ‘in tune’ and ‘wisened’ individual, more sympathetic to social relationships around you. And as my adult learners invariably fume, you’ll never be able to watch a TV advert in the same way again!