After going through the process myself, I’m a huge advocate for majoring in something that’s geared towards your passions. When I changed my major from Biology to Sociology, those close to me were a bit skeptical. “What do you plan to do with that?” I confidently said, “I’m still working towards medical school, but I’m going to enjoy the journey”. This post is for those who think they want to major in Sociology but aren’t sure what they would want to do with it. It’s also for those who don’t know what they’re planning to major in at all.
What is Sociology?
Simply put, sociology is the study of society. Sociology seeks to explain and understand human behavior. As a Sociology major, you will learn about particular groups (families, sexualities, etc.) or institutions and nations.
What do you plan to do with it?
I wrote about this here, but for the sake of this post, I’m going to elaborate a little more. I’m interested in the inequities of health care. Not so much of simply knowing that they exist and they oppress folks who are already marginalized as is, but I want to know the “why?”. My university offers courses on the Sociology of Mental Disorders, Medical Sociology, and Health Care as it relates to African Americans. My goal is to learn as much as possible so I can make some type of change in those fields.
After college, I plan to go to medical school to pursue an MD/MPH dual degree. Ultimately, I hope to practice in an underserved area. I’m not sure what specialty though.
Aside from medicine, intersectionality is also important to me. In fact, this is what attracted me to the major in the first place. I want to explore the power dynamics within the African American community and how they affect women and the LGBT community.
What other careers can sociology majors pursue?
The field is so versatile, the possibilities are endless. Here are a few:
- Social Work
- Substance Abuse Education
- Attorney
- Teaching
- Urban Planning
- Public Relations
- Community Development
- Non-Profit Agencies
Here are some other resources as well:
American Sociology Association
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook
Leave a Reply