Have you discovered Sociology yet? I remember when I first encountered Sociology as an option at GCSE. I decided to take it as an option simply because it was something new and appealed to me more than any of the remaining choices.
Now, let me tell you; taking that risk dramatically altered the course of my life. Okay, okay..so that’s a tad dramatic, but in all seriousness that choice led onto me taking Sociology at A-Level and then studying it for my degree! You might be wondering why I am telling you all of this; well stay tuned for why I think Sociology is definitely worth learning about.
It increases your understanding of the world we live in
Sociology is all about developing your knowledge of the structure and functioning of human society; looking past just what things are but WHY they are that way.
It increases your empathy for other people
Within Sociology you look at a lot of studies to do with a wide variety of peoples’ experiences; the poor, the rich, women, men, children, teenagers, ethnic minorities, the employed, the unemployed, Christians, non Christians…the list could go on. Looking into different peoples experiences helps you to understand and appreciate why they might have a different outlook to you.
It leads to diverse career options
You might hear people say that Sociology does not lead to a career; well me and most likely everyone on my degree course would disagree. With a qualification in Sociology you will have a foundation for many possible careers, including; charity work, social work, teaching, HR, PR, law enforcement, counselling, data handling, journalism and administration.
You get to study extremely interesting topics
I for one was never bored with Sociology. Throughout all my years studying Sociology I have looked at the family, media, crime, globalisation, medicine, new genetics, feminism, research methods and so many more. If you find people interesting, then Sociology is definitely the subject for you!
Academic writing skills, time management, data handling, communication, presentation, analysis, evaluation, teamwork, complex problem solving and debating (to name a few!) are all skills that studying Sociology will help you develop.
In my own experience, God also used my time studying Sociology to speak to me about how there were certain stereotypes and ways of thinking that I had grown up with that were coming from culture and society more than His word. I was often reminded of Romans 12:2:
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to know God’s will, which is good and pleasing and perfect”.
So, there you have it – my reasons why I think Sociology is worth studying!
