Rigour in Sociological Practice

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

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”

Social Acts

Anthony Hogan looks back over his career across academia and applied research roles in social policy. By Anthony Hogan I am a sociologist by trade, having completed my undergraduate work at University of Western Sydney (UWS), a PhD with the amazingly wonderful Gary Dowsett at Macquarie and then a Postdoctoral Fellow in Health Sciences atContinueContinue reading “Social Acts”

Youth Unemployment in the Illawarra: An Investigation into the Problems facing Young Job Seekers in our Region

Scott Burrows discusses his social policy work on youth unemployment. He explores how sociology can be used as a framework to understand citizenship. He ends by reflecting on his transition from university to a private organisation. By Scott Burrows [1] This short article discusses the way I have experienced studying a social policy issue such as unemploymentContinueContinue reading “Youth Unemployment in the Illawarra: An Investigation into the Problems facing Young Job Seekers in our Region”

Breastfeeding Policies atWork

A new study outlines the lack of support and resources that women academics face when they return to work and need to breastfeed their babies. They encounter disgust, shame and stigma when they breastfeed because they are not provided a comfortable, quiet place where they can lactate. Inside Higher Ed has covered a new bookContinueContinue reading “Breastfeeding Policies atWork”

Limits of Economic Pragmatism

A recent poll highlights how Americans interested in “pop economics” have a limited view sociology and research contributions more broadly. Freakonomics has published a survey amongst its readers (primarily economists) about which disciplines are not useful. They had a response of 1,200 voters, who said that political science and sociology were useless because they weren’t “pragmatic”ContinueContinue reading “Limits of Economic Pragmatism”