Theory & Methods – Page 2 – Sociology at Work

Learning to Write a Thesis: An Applied Sociology Perspective

A white woman with her hair in a messy bun stands in front of a brick wall, holding a book over her face

A new graph shows sociology theses are in the top ten longest PhD dissertations. We review the PhD as an apprenticeship, the benefits of PhD brevity to your professional career, and a case study of writing in an applied job

Career Advice for Sociology Graduates

A long board room with 16 Black and brown people sitting in front of laptops speaking to one another. A woman stands in the back by the door

Our latest video discusses a recent careers panel about how to translate theory into practice when you’re working outside academia. I cover workplace ethics, as well issues about managing professional identity and the importance of networking

Sociology Ethics in an Applied Workplace

Aerial view of three white women working on laptops in a small meeting room

Reflections on managing research ethics in careers outside academia.

Translating Sociological Theory Into Practice

Aerial view of a dark wood desk, with each corner showing part of a laptop, a phone camera, and earphones. Scrabble tiles in the centre spell out: TRANSLATION

Applied sociology is the translation of sociological theory into practice for specific clients.

Sociology: ‘A Dazzling and Compelling Enterprise’

People walk through a market in Cairo, Egypt

“Sociology is the study of human social life, groups and societies. It is a dazzling and compelling enterprise, having as its subject matter our own behaviour as social beings.” – Anthony Giddens

Applied Sociology Career in Research and Evaluation

A white man's hand holds a stylus, and ticks an online form on an iPad

Dr Yoland Wadsworth reflects on her 42-year career in community research and evaluation

Sociology: ‘The Excitement of Finding the Familiar Becoming Transformed’

A young woman of colour holds her hands to her cheeks, her mouth open in happy surprise. Three young women stand behind her

“The excitement of sociology is usually of a different sort… It is not the excitement of coming upon the totally unfamiliar, but rather the excitement of finding the familiar becoming transformed in its meaning.” – Peter Berger

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”

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?