Applied Sociology – Sociology at Work

Sociological Record

Painting of a self-portrait of Zofia Rydet. She is a young white woman with short light curly hair, wearing a white top and a long necklace, as she looks into a camera. A man is hazy in the background

We review the work of Zofia Rydet, the Polish photographer who spent 20 years documenting the ‘Sociological Record.’ We then take a look at visual sociology as an applied practice.

Sociology of Disaster Recovery

Two Black women face away, looking at a flattened house and debris, beside fallen trees

On 28 October 2025, Hurricane Melissa devastated 90% of homes in the Black River area in Jamaica, with at least 50 people dead. In a recent article, Assistant Professor Wesley Cheek explains why a sociological understanding of emergency planning is necessary for the recovery process.

Sociology in Hollywood: Q&A with Parker Lemal-Brown

Parker Lemal-Brown is a white man with black hair and a beard. He stands in front of a crowd, with a monitor behind him saying, "Story structure"

Parker Lemal-Brown is a sociology graduate who has worked in marketing and communications, as well as creative development and production for television. He now runs a consulting company.

Sociology Careers in AI Policy

Painting of two smiling people sitting at their desks. An Asian woman is writing with a pen on a book, and a Black man with earrings, glasses and an earring watches her

Explore emerging careers for applied sociologists seeking to address ethical use of AI, as well as policy inequalities flowing from the proliferation of AI.

How to Find Work in Social Planning

Painting, close up of hands working over a large piece of paper with drawings and text. The hands are holding colourful post-it notes that say 'customer'

Deep dive into social planning roles available to sociologists, how to build experience, and how to demonstrate your skills to potential employers.

Sociology Career in Social Planning

Five young people sit in a meeting room in front of laptops, watching a presentation on a monitor

Today’s post delves into a sociology career in social planning. We explore how a sociology graduate went from her Bachelor’s degree to youth counselling, to research in a university, to managing large community projects.

Sociology Career in Sustainability

How can your sociology degree help you establish a career in agriculture? We look at how one sociology graduate went from completing their degree in 2016, to applying her sociological knowledge to manage vineyards as well as testing new methods of growing crops and reducing water use.

Applied Sociology Careers and Pay

A group of children in a large circle in a rural village, with adults watching them

Some of the most common career paths for sociologists are in education, however, other more specialised jobs are in applied sociology. This includes social work, journalism, administration, and more. Here are a few sources that report on applied sociology careers and pay.

Benefits of Studying Sociology

Mural with street art. Shows a Black person's hand changing the letter 'C' in the word 'Chance,' with a 'g,' so it reads 'Change.

Here are some of the ways in which taking sociology as a major or minor subject helps students build careers in health, business, and communication, as well as developing other vital professional skills.

Career in Sports Sociology

Dr Harry Edwards is a Black man with a thick grey beard. He is bald and wears sunglasses

Have you considered that a career in applied sociology can take you to the big leagues? American sports sociologist, Dr Harry Edwards, is known as the architect of the 1968 Olympics protest and one of the pioneers of the sociology of sport. He has been working as a sports consultant for over 40 years.