Best careers to pick after IGCSE / AS & A sociology

Sociology is a subject of social science that focuses on society, human social behaviour, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. Sociology gives us the wisdom and tools to fight poverty, improve education, maintain global peace relations and likewise. The importance of sociology is huge even though it is not a professional course. To make things more interesting, sociology gets even more impactful when taught in an IGCSE curriculum with a heutagogical approach. Knowing this, let’s know a few career pathways for IGCSE / AS & A sociology students.

Join the exciting world of media and communications

The field of media and communication requires expertise over, quite simply, communication. In sociology, a student learns about how humans interact, the role of language and how we behave in various social settings. Learning sociology equips you with the knowledge to express ideas across a range of themes such as world politics, social issues, art and environment. Plus, you learn how to solve and represent problems using mind maps, presentations and ethnography. Combined with the knowledge and expertise of audio-visual, written and spoken communication, you can very well make a career as a journalist, writer or documentary filmmaker. Not to mention, follow the footsteps of Eric Klinenberg to write interesting research-backed books like Going Solo, a detailed account on why more people are starting to live alone.

Improve administration with your skillset

When it comes to society’s progress, large institutions such as the government play a huge role. The same applies to global organisations such as the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and non-profit firms that work for the well-being of society as a whole. In places such as these, people from social science, especially sociology, play a crucial role. They bring their knowledge to connect the dots between law, art, history, economics, and human development for solving large scale social problems. A sociology graduate can work in the advisory board of policymakers, project management and research and development. Or could become a part of the public administration and lead from the front. You also could join a leading think tank like Observer Research Foundation (ORF) which provides analyses and inputs to people in business, government and academia. Doesn’t sociology give you the best of all worlds?

Be part of academics and research

Historically speaking, sociologists have made a mark in the research and development field. They have contributed by spreading their ideas from academia to the real world and vice-versa. Students who have a keen interest in the academic aspects of sociology can pursue higher education to become professors. People in academia intermingle with research methodologies, analyse populations, come up with novel insights and give away groundbreaking conclusions. In India, the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) conducts various surveys on economics, gender, employment and more. If you have a mathematical bent of mind, you could join NSSO or a similar surveying organisation and use large scale data to seek meaningful insights. The field of analytical sociology does exactly this. Or, you could write your own research paper to expand on the works of the previous generation of sociologists such as Robert Merton.

On the other hand, market research analysts track preferences for particular groups of people based on their location, age, gender, employment and marital status and more. Both these fields are rapidly growing because the tools for analytics deliver superior results for those who know how to use them. Having a sociology degree with an interest and expertise in analytics can definitely lead to a rewarding career.

Grow in the fast-growing development sector

The development sector is attracting a lot ofyoung people who want to make a difference in the world. Contentment is all about doing what you love and sharing the results with the people around you. A career in the development sector, sometimes called the social sector, is a viable route for sociology graduates. The UN has provided a list of 17 sustainable development goals that you can dive into with your expertise as a sociologist. Being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of various psychographics and demographics, a sociologist is a valuable asset in NGOs and NPOs working on various social causes. You can bring forward your research, communication and problem-solving skills to help the lesser privileged. In the development sector, you can choose to be among fields such as mental health, climate change, women’s rights and rural development. Who do you think reports the happiness index and stress levels in adolescents? A lot of those people are from social science, especially sociology backgrounds.

Conclusion

With such diverse career pathways for those pursuing sociology in IGCSE AS & A levels, what do you think is the one path that will fit best for your child? Even though there are numerous careers to pick from in sociology, one must connect their strengths with their passion. This is the key to long term career happiness.

For more insights on how you can help your child figure out what they’re best at and what ways can they choose to pursue their dreams, get in touch with us at contact@beyond8.in