1127 Park Street -- Grinnell, IA 50112-1690
Phone 641-269-4940; FAX 641-269-4946
Contact Us
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1127 Park Street -- Grinnell, IA 50112-1690 Phone 641-269-4940; FAX 641-269-4946 Contact Us |
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American
Studies
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Sociology
Choosing your major was one of the most significant decisions of your college career. Your passion for sociology is one you share with your peers, professors, and alumni/ae. Students choose to major in sociology for different reasons. Read some of the reasons alumni/ae chose a sociology major: Alumni/ae
Comments "Sociology was a good choice for me mostly because it was an area that interested me. After taking the intro course, I was still interested so I chose to major in it." "I chose sociology because I wanted to give myself a better understanding of people and group dynamics. This went hand in hand with my love of understanding diversity." "I started out intending to be a chemistry major but it became clear I was not going to be successful in that major. I loved Ilse Leitinger's sociology course so I chose sociology." "I really majored in sociology because it was what interested me, and it was a good choice." "I had a strong interest in the social sciences, and sociology was the best fit for me. I think it is a good choice for some career paths, especially applied research, and for those who want to complete a PhD and follow the academic/teaching career path." Faculty Comments "Typically,
students who major in sociology have a keen curiosity about how
the social world operates, have a sincere desire to alleviate
social problems, and want to make a positive difference in the
world. The students who do the best as sociology majors are able
to think analytically and to write persuasively about social
issues, and can handle the ambiguity and uncertainty that characterizes
social phenomena. We live in an increasingly diverse and complicated world: the ability to think cogently and insightfully about that world is a key skill in this world and sociology provides these skills. Furthermore, sociology majors learn to appreciate the differences which can so often separate people." You will use the skills you develop as a sociology major every day in whatever environment you decide to work. Alumni/ae and faculty offer their thoughts about the kinds of skills a major in sociology will provide: Alumni/ae Comments "My
major gave me the ability to think about people in a systematic
way and gave me another way of looking at people in groups." "It gave me an understanding of group dynamics and developed my tolerance, both important skills in a business setting. Tied in with my entire Grinnell experience, it developed my critical thinking skills." "Not unique to sociology but from all my courses, I learned how to read, analyze, and comprehend material." "The skills that I developed had more to do with my overall Grinnell experience. I learned to think, to analyze, and to express my self through writing and verbally. These are skills I use every day in my work in Human Resources." "Sociology helped me develop research skills, learning to apply research thinking to social problems. I learned a lot from several off-campus programs (e.g. Urban Studies in Chicago) that were broad-based and had a sociological component. I earned a Master's degree in sociology, and my undergraduate training at Grinnell was a good background for that experience. As a research analyst in state government, I use many of the research and thinking skills that I learned both as an undergraduate and as a graduate student." Faculty Comments "Our
sociology majors develop the ability to think cogently and insightfully
about the social world, to write persuasively, and to apply appropriate
techniques (sometimes quantitative and statistical, sometimes
qualitative and interpretive) for discovering 'truths' about
the world. Our department has a strong reputation for helping
students learn to write more effectively." Sociology majors have selected a wide variety of careers from school principal to social worker, from editor to financial advisor. As you can see from the following list of alumni/ae job titles of sociology majors, you are not your major! Alumni/ae
Job Titles How will
you decide what kind of career to pursue? Will it follow your
major? In what way? Both alumni/ae and faculty emphasize the
importance of researching different kinds of careers. There are many ways to research career fields of interest to you. The most common way is to complete an internship. Alumni/ae who have held internships or participated in career previews have lots of advice to offer. Here are some samples of previous sociology majors who have completed internships in a variety of areas: Alumni/ae
Comments "I did an internship at Skiff Hospital in Newton where I shadowed a medical social worker nurse. It gave me my first chance to see a social worker in action." "I
did an internship with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in Des
Moines. The internship helped me to understand that I didn't
want to do an MSW or work in the social science area. It was
a good introduction to the world of work without too much responsibility." Alumni/ae Comments "The
thing that helped me the most was recognizing sociology was a
great foundation. It helped me move from the general to specific.
In the MSW program the sociology major was a big help in giving
me a great theoretical background." "Sociology is a good way to launch yourself into any career. I strongly believe in the liberal arts. Critical thinking and analysis skills are invaluable. So many people who don't have liberal arts training don't have these skills. Sociology is also one of the few majors that allows students in upper level courses to work in groups. This is much like the real world where team work is the norm." "Do some kind of internship. For me, choosing sociology over chemistry was about choosing something I love. Major in something that excites you." "You
don't have to decide right away what you want to do. It's okay
to change careers. I quit working for four years and went back
into the business world with no problem." "If you want a research career in private industry or in government, get all the computer skills you can, and try to use data analysis software (preferably SAS or SPSS). Learn to write well, and to edit your own writing. Consider earning a MS within a few years of finishing your BA/BS. Look for jobs that get you into a research project that is run by knowledgeable people; even a volunteer position is helpful." Faculty Comments "We recommend that all sociology majors do an internship at some point, conduct original research if possible, and study off-campus. Internships are wonderful laboratories for sociological analysis, and simultaneously provide valuable experiences in possible careers. Most sociology majors do internships. In addition, we recommend that majors contact alumni/ae to investigate careers, whether in academic positions, or in nonprofit organizations, in social service, or in business." If you are thinking about graduate school, there are graduate programs in the field of sociology as well as other professional degree programs. These links provide more information about the different paths you can follow: graduate school, jobs, or other paths. The faculty in the Sociology Department emphasize the benefits of this major. "We live in an increasingly diverse and complicated world: the ability to think cogently and insightfully about that world is a key skill in this world and sociology provides these skills. Furthermore, sociology majors learn to appreciate the differences which can so often separate people." The following are first-hand accounts of the experiences of alumni/ae after Grinnell who have graduated with a sociology major: Alumni/ae Comments "I had some help from Jo Calhoun in the Career Development Office. She told me about the MSW degree. My very first job was as a VESS in Texas (a program similar to VISTA)." "I came back from overseas where I had completed additional studies, and was in Los Angeles with $100 to my name. I had to have a job and fell into insurance work." "When I was at Grinnell, I worked on Iowa admissions with Dorothy Palmer (then in the Admissions Office). I tried to find an admissions job after college and read the Chronicle of Higher Education. I saw an ad for an alumni position at Lawrence and thought I would be well-suited to that work. After talking with Shane Cook (then in the Alumni Office at Grinnell), I applied and was hired." "I chose my career by a process of elimination. After earning my MBA, I recognized that I'm not a numbers person so finance and accounting would not be good choices for me. I had a bent toward people and humanity so Human Resources made sense." "I tried being a sort of social worker and found I didn't like it, and then I rather fell into a research position and found it a very good fit with my temperament and interests. My first job was coding results from a survey about health among students." Faculty Comments "Sociology
prepares majors for any career, since any career involves working
collectively with other people and sociology focuses on how people
collaborate and conflict. Our majors have gone on to become college
professors, lawyers, social workers, doctors, teachers, administrators
in non-profit organizations, and business men and women." Of course, Grinnell's Sociology Department provides advising as you consider questions about your major, internships, gaining experience, and making career decisions. The departmental web page also offers detailed information about the sociology major, outlines requirements for its completion, and lists courses. |
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