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CAREERS
IN SOCIOLOGY
by E. Christiansen
Are you interested in how our
society works? Is your ideal job one in which you can affect positive social
change? Then a job in the sociology field may be right for
you.
Sociology is the study of patterns of social life and how people
organize their activities and environment. Sociologists generally specialize in
a specific area of social study, such as social organization, racial and ethnic
relations, education, or gerontology. Common jobs in this field include social
service administrators, personnel managers, regional or community planners, or
market researchers.
Sociologists primarily engage in performing
research in their area of sociological interest. The knowledge that comes from
this research is then applied to community and organizational problems that
fall under their job description. Sociologists spend much time reading
sociological journals, collecting and analyzing data, and writing reports,
articles or books. Even sociologists who are not employed by an academic
institution are still heavily involved with academic sociological work, through
the use and sharing of data among sociologists in the same field.
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Although most
sociologists work in academic research or teaching settings, a few
thousand are employed by government agencies and private corporations.
Other types of sociological jobs are: counseling, research, population
and demographic analyst, city and urban planning, parole agent,
public administrator.
The largest non-academic employers of sociologists are: local departments
of health, research institutes, health services organizations, and
community welfare organizations.
The minimum education level for most research and community college
level or lower teaching positions in this field is an MA. Upper-level
government administration positions or college-level teaching positions
require a Ph.D. and several years of field experience. Some companies
will hire people with BAs for entry-level administration and research
positions, but further education is required for advancement. Computer
science and statistics training will open up more job opportunities
in the private sector.
Certification in applied social research by The American Sociological
Association, at the master's level can provide an opportunity for
advancement, and may be required for doctoral level positions. Earning
certification generally takes one year of clinical sociology experience,
a Ph.D. or MA from an ASA accredited school, and demonstrated competency
at training workshops and conferences.
Successful sociologists will have a curiosity about the inner workings
of our society, and a genuine interest in applying sociological
principles to solve social problems. The ability to be objective
in research and presentation of data is also essential. Sociologists
must work well with other people, and have above average written
and oral communication skills in order to present data and implement
effective plans for social change.
The areas of sociology that are projected to have the most job growth
include demography, criminology, and gerontology. The growing marketing
and public relations fields will create the most jobs for demographers.
An increased demand for criminologists is predicted due to the increasing
prison population, and an increased interest in effective rehabilitation
of criminals. The aging baby boomer population and their parents
account for the increasing interest in the gerontology field.
The average base salary for a government-employed sociologist with
a BA was $18,300-$22,700 in 1993, depending upon education and work
experience. Sociologists holding an MA made an average of $27,800
per year. Doctoral degree holders started at $33,600 or $40,300,
with advanced professional experience the key to higher salaries.
The average salary for all sociologists in all positions in the
federal government in 1993 was $53,300.
For more information on careers in sociology, or certification,
write to the following organizations:
The American Sociological Association, 1722 N St. NW., Washington,
DC 20036.
Population Association of America, 1722 N St. NW., Washington, DC
20036.
Sociological Practice Association, College of Arts and Sciences,
South Eastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA 70402.
You may also subscribe to the DEMOGR-H list, a Spanish-language
email discussion list for people who are interested in population-related
issues, such as population growth, disease, hygiene and Public Health,
the labor market, history of the Family, population theory, and
Population Projection. To subscribe to this list, send the message
SUB DEMOGR-H yourfirstname yourlastname to LISTSERV@LISTSERV.REDIRIS.ES
©1996-97, Saludos Hispanos.
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