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My dad disapproves of doing Sociology at uni

Help! My mother is supportive of me wanting to do Sociology at university but my dad isn't because of the lack of career opportunities. The thing is, apart from perhaps criminal profiling I don't think I'd be good at anything else. Actually, I asked him and his partner last night if they thought I'd be good at that instead after being interested in it for years. They both said no immediately. Please help!

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If sociology is the degree you want to do, do it! If you try to force yourself to do a degree you have no interest in, you're probably going to struggle! Also, you're the one who's going to do the degree, not him, so he shouldn't be telling you what degree you should or shouldn't do :smile:
Original post by Ervahy
Help! My mother is supportive of me wanting to do Sociology at university but my dad isn't because of the lack of career opportunities. The thing is, apart from perhaps criminal profiling I don't think I'd be good at anything else. Actually, I asked him and his partner last night if they thought I'd be good at that instead after being interested in it for years. They both said no immediately. Please help!


If you think that Sociology is the subject for you, go for it. There's not a lot of point you forcing yourself through a degree that you hate just for the sake of a slightly higher employment percentage. There are ways of improving your employability besides your degree choice, such as doing summer internships.
Hello,


I think you should find a time and place to explain to your dad and his partner about a Sociology degree and what it consists of: Modules, Entry Requirements, Graduate Career Prospects, etc. This will show both of them how enthusiastic you are about the subject and may convince them to let you pursue this degree. Honestly though, at the end of the day, you're going to be the one taking this degree and if you truly want to study Sociology at uni and it's something that you're passionate about, don't let them discourage you from following your dreams. After all, I understand that you don't want to let your family down but believe me, it's better to do a degree that you will truly enjoy and get a good grade in it than to do a degree that your dad wants you to do and end up with a Third for example.

Hope this helps! :smile:
Original post by Ervahy
Help! My mother is supportive of me wanting to do Sociology at university but my dad isn't because of the lack of career opportunities. The thing is, apart from perhaps criminal profiling I don't think I'd be good at anything else. Actually, I asked him and his partner last night if they thought I'd be good at that instead after being interested in it for years. They both said no immediately. Please help!


The thing is though, he's not wrong. What job does a sociology degree lead to, especially if it isn't from a top 5 uni?
Hypothetically you can do just as many things with your Sociology degree as you can do with History, English or Business Studies. In reality, you are not really qualified for anything. Few degrees actually lead to a clear career trajectory - those degrees are mostly STEM. I am about to graduate in PPE but this does not qualify me for any particular roles, like Medicine would be a prerequisite to being a doctor, Computer Science to programming job or Mechanical Engineering for the industry. Hypothetically, I could do many roles, such as banking and financial services, media or NGOs. What you will actually end up doing depends greatly on your university, contacts and how much your parents can help you.
Reply 6
Original post by Ervahy
Help! My mother is supportive of me wanting to do Sociology at university but my dad isn't because of the lack of career opportunities. The thing is, apart from perhaps criminal profiling I don't think I'd be good at anything else. Actually, I asked him and his partner last night if they thought I'd be good at that instead after being interested in it for years. They both said no immediately. Please help!


Bottom line, you have to do what you're interested it.

But I do understand your dad's view because in a forever increasingly labour market arts graduates tend to lose out, especially the sociologists. It's know fact that if you studies maths at degree you'd get a good job and earn good money considering you work hard.
Sociology is often undermined as it tends to be a sub to other big topics such as history and politics...
Do either of those interest you? History for the example is a very versatile course and you could do a whole thesis on sociology...

It's the same story with forensic science and psychology... Lots of people study it because they are very interesting but then can't get jobs at the end because the labour market for there skills are in a surplus but people with much more versatile and sought after degrees such as maths, history and economics are employed in a much larger pool of jobs.

But like I said, do what you enjoy, a first class degree will look good on any CV despite the subject but also bare in mind, some employers look at what uni you studied at. Someone who studies at Oxford, LSE or Bath is going to get the place over someone who studies at Brighton.

Good luck!
Original post by InvestmentBankin
Hypothetically you can do just as many things with your Sociology degree as you can do with History, English or Business Studies. In reality, you are not really qualified for anything. Few degrees actually lead to a clear career trajectory - those degrees are mostly STEM. I am about to graduate in PPE but this does not qualify me for any particular roles, like Medicine would be a prerequisite to being a doctor, Computer Science to programming job or Mechanical Engineering for the industry. Hypothetically, I could do many roles, such as banking and financial services, media or NGOs. What you will actually end up doing depends greatly on your university, contacts and how much your parents can help you.


No. Don't clump sociology degrees with history or english degrees. Our degree is far more intellectually stimulating and regarded, how many sociology grads undergrads have you seen working as lawyers? How many have you seen as leading politicians? (George Osbourne, Gordon Brown, Jacob Rees-Mogg as a few examples of history undergrads who are heavily involved) .
Original post by Magnus Taylor
No. Don't clump sociology degrees with history or english degrees. Our degree is far more intellectually stimulating and regarded, how many sociology grads undergrads have you seen working as lawyers? How many have you seen as leading politicians? (George Osbourne, Gordon Brown, Jacob Rees-Mogg as a few examples of history undergrads who are heavily involved) .


Okay do not get so upset. This just shows your insecurity as a historian. You must admit that both rank pretty low in terms of employability (which is what OP was asking about) as compared to STEM subjects. In fact, all social sciences and humanities rank similarly in terms of employability. It is also better to have a Sociology degree from Oxford than a History one from, say, Edinburgh. If both History and Sociology bachelors were from Oxbridge, to me it is the same intellectual level and I would personally regard them as such. I find it amusing when other humanities or social sciences students are looking down on Sociology.
Reply 9
Original post by Leviathan1741
If sociology is the degree you want to do, do it! If you try to force yourself to do a degree you have no interest in, you're probably going to struggle! Also, you're the one who's going to do the degree, not him, so he shouldn't be telling you what degree you should or shouldn't do :smile:


Very true! Thanks!
Original post by richpanda
The thing is though, he's not wrong. What job does a sociology degree lead to, especially if it isn't from a top 5 uni?


Well, for starters, if OP has a strong interest for Sociology then they could go on to do research in the subject, which would pay reasonably well with the added excitement of exploring and mapping out the unknown, for the benefit of humanity. Alternatively, there's a good list of things to do here: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/sociology

Now that may or may not look like the most interesting list to you, but regardless, if that's the sort of thing OP wants to do, then Sociology would be the best degree to take.
Original post by InvestmentBankin
Okay do not get so upset. This just shows your insecurity as a historian. You must admit that both rank pretty low in terms of employability (which is what OP was asking about) as compared to STEM subjects. In fact, all social sciences and humanities rank similarly in terms of employability. It is also better to have a Sociology degree from Oxford than a History one from, say, Edinburgh. If both History and Sociology bachelors were from Oxbridge, to me it is the same intellectual level and I would personally regard them as such. I find it amusing when other humanities or social sciences students are looking down on Sociology.


It's a different career field mate, go lose your v
Original post by Magnus Taylor
It's a different career field mate, go lose your v


Pathetic and insecure :facepalm:
Original post by InvestmentBankin
Pathetic and insecure :facepalm:


What university are you even at? How are you more qualified than me?
Original post by Magnus Taylor
What university are you even at? How are you more qualified than me?


PPE Oxford.
Original post by InvestmentBankin
PPE Oxford.


Enjoying brexit? I guess that's one benefit; you no longer get priority haha fool.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by InvestmentBankin
Hypothetically you can do just as many things with your Sociology degree as you can do with History, English or Business Studies. In reality, you are not really qualified for anything. Few degrees actually lead to a clear career trajectory - those degrees are mostly STEM. I am about to graduate in PPE but this does not qualify me for any particular roles, like Medicine would be a prerequisite to being a doctor, Computer Science to programming job or Mechanical Engineering for the industry. Hypothetically, I could do many roles, such as banking and financial services, media or NGOs. What you will actually end up doing depends greatly on your university, contacts and how much your parents can help you.


Spot on answer.

Except you don't need a specific degree to become a software developer either.

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Original post by richpanda
The thing is though, he's not wrong. What job does a sociology degree lead to, especially if it isn't from a top 5 uni?


The thing is though, he's not the one doing the degree. With experience, OP has many options for a career choice not to mention undertaking further study.
Original post by J.Page
Bottom line, you have to do what you're interested it.

But I do understand your dad's view because in a forever increasingly labour market arts graduates tend to lose out, especially the sociologists. It's know fact that if you studies maths at degree you'd get a good job and earn good money considering you work hard.
Sociology is often undermined as it tends to be a sub to other big topics such as history and politics...
Do either of those interest you? History for the example is a very versatile course and you could do a whole thesis on sociology...

It's the same story with forensic science and psychology... Lots of people study it because they are very interesting but then can't get jobs at the end because the labour market for there skills are in a surplus but people with much more versatile and sought after degrees such as maths, history and economics are employed in a much larger pool of jobs.

But like I said, do what you enjoy, a first class degree will look good on any CV despite the subject but also bare in mind, some employers look at what uni you studied at. Someone who studies at Oxford, LSE or Bath is going to get the place over someone who studies at Brighton.

Good luck!


No there are unemployed maths graduates as well. A good maths graduate will get a job but a bad one will probably lose out to other graduates.
Reply 19
Original post by Trapz99
No there are unemployed maths graduates as well. A good maths graduate will get a job but a bad one will probably lose out to other graduates.


Of course there are, lazy people won't get the good jobs of course but maths graduates are all extremely bright students; most have to have studied further maths and physics at A-level (the most Academic subjects) and therefore you won't really find a "bad one" because maths is so demanding and challenging thus it's these people who get the jobs in the city.
Also, other subjects offer the exact same skills are sociology like the data collection and analysis but also supply graduates with more applicable skills to the world of work hence the reason there are a lot more maths graduates employed in a wide range of industries compared to sociology

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