Blog – Page 9 – Sociology at Work

Highest Paid Social Science Careers

A White woman moves a mouse and looks at the laptop of the woman beside her, who wears a hijab. A third man is working next to them with headphones on

A new graphic shows the highest paid jobs for experienced social science graduates in the USA.

Sociology for Clients

A white woman sits on a couch beside a Black woman who is holding an open laptop

This post provides an overview of the client work that applied sociologists carry out, as well as examples of applied sociological work in the public service, the private sector, and consultancy.

Rigour in Sociological Practice

Three Asian men and an Asian woman in hijab are in a meeting room with a laptop, phone and writing in a book

We tell graduates that sociology can be used to improve the delivery of social services, that it can better shape social policy, that we can use it to mediate conflict to achieve social justice. Yet, once we enter our paid professional life, practitioners often encounter the perception that applied sociological work is less rigorous. WhyContinueContinue reading “Rigour in Sociological Practice”

Retaining Sociology Students

A Black man sits outdoors smiling as he checks a book and writes on his laptop

Sociology has a problem recruiting and retaining students. The way forward is for sociological degrees to demonstrate how their training prepares them for the workplace. The latest American Sociological Association (ASA) survey of almost 2,700 sociology students in the USA finds that retention is not purely about loving the subject matter. Students are most satisfiedContinueContinue reading “Retaining Sociology Students”

Sociology’s Gendered “Ritual Nods”

Two miniature figures against a pale blue background, a dwoman in a red dress sitting on a pill, and a man with his hands in his pocket stands beside her

White male European and American voices dominate sociology. New analysis makes me wonder: are we reproducing inequality through our “ritual nods” to social theory?

Dr Martin Luther King: “Public Sociologist Par Excellence”

Dr Martin Luther King is a Black man with a moustache and buzz cut black hair. He smiles broadly

“We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.” – Dr Martin Luther King Jr is described as “a public sociologist par excellence.” We look at how sociology students can model his use of sociology to transform society, through civil rights principles.

Applied Sociology Roles, Skills and Methods – New Series

People walk in a crowded place with a train station in the background

What are the roles that applied sociologists take on? What skills and methods do they apply in order to carry out their work? What workplace issues do they face? How do they manage their professional challenges and celebrate their triumphs?

Sociology as Other: Sociological Thinking Applied to Mental Health Clinical Practice

A Black man and woman sit outdoors on a park bench. Both wear face masks. They are talkng and smiling

Joy Adams-Jackson reflects on her clinical work. She describes how she uses sociological theory in managing risk assessments in health settings. By Joy Adams-Jackson In this piece I write about my clinical observations and experiences from the perspective of a sociological ‘other’. While I work primarily as a registered nurse in a rural community mentalContinueContinue reading “Sociology as Other: Sociological Thinking Applied to Mental Health Clinical Practice”

Doing Sociology Beyond Academia: Making Applied Sociology “Work”

A student wears a graduation cap that says: 'I'm a social worker! What's your superpower?'

This article provides an overview of applied sociological practice, the origins of The Applied Sociology Thematic Group of The Australian Sociological Association, and a summary of this special edition on ‘Doing Sociology Beyond Academia’ By Zuleyka Zevallos This special edition of Nexus focuses on the applied work of sociologists. There are multiple interpretations of what this mightContinueContinue reading “Doing Sociology Beyond Academia: Making Applied Sociology “Work””