Sociologist

Sociology is the science of human relationships, the means by which people and groups behave towards each other, as well as socio-economic developments and changes. Sociologists study the origins, growth and interactions of human groups, for example; families, tribes, communities and social institutions such as: religious, political and economic groupings, ethnic groups and social classes.

They study the behaviour and interaction of groups, trace their origin and growth and analyse the influence of group activities on individual members. Sociologists can specialise in a wide range of areas, for example: social groupings, social stratification and mobility, racial and ethnical relationships, social psychology, as well as political, economic and applied sociology.

Other directions include research, demographics, gerontology and clinical sociology. Sociological research involves collecting information, analysing and interpreting data that is collected through surveys, in-depth interviews, case studies and other methods.

Sociologists also study social processes and phenomena, such as social deviant behaviour, group friction and migration. They may investigate topics on a large scale such as housing conditions, recreational patterns, drinking patterns and drug abuse as it occurs in groups of people, or they may examine the effects of different styles of leadership on individuals in small groups.

The sociologist can work in a variety of fields:

Social psychology
Clinical sociology
Political sociology
Economic sociology
Applied sociology
Research

Academic sociologists teach at universities; research sociologists do full-time research; administrative sociologists assist personnel sections; and planning sociologists are concerned with development and planning. Many sociologists work at universities, doing research and giving lectures. Since sociology overlaps many related fields of study, sociologists may interact and cooperate with psychologists, economists and town planners and do market and consumer behaviour research.

Personal Requirements

interested in human beings and their behaviour
intellectual curiosity and an inquiring mind
able to get on well with people from every population group or class
analytical skills and objectivity
able to undertake independent research
mathematical and statistical ability for research work
above-average intelligence
able to speak and write well and concisely

Employment

universities
government departments, municipalities and administration boards
non-governmental organisations
research institutions such as Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC)

Getting Started

try to obtain vacation or part-time work as an assistant to a research sociologist or as an interviewer for a market research company
undertake a relevant research assignment at school and/or enter a research project in the behavioural sciences section of the annual regional Science Expo
speak to a sociologist about this career
read the works of sociologists, historians and political scientists

Programmes

Boston City Campus and Business College does not offer a programme that leads directly to this occupation. Please take a look at the related occupations below to see whether any of these appeal to you. Alternately, please send an email to taryn@boston.co.za and a Student Advisor will call you back.

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