Motivations and Self-Perceived Career Prospects of Undergraduate Sociology Students

Alexandra Valéria Sándor

doi:10.26417/332irk90k

Abstract

Sociology undoubtedly plays an important role in the world of sciences, as it provides an opportunity to examine the society in which we live and our social relationships using widely accepted means with real scientific value. As Giddings has noted, 'sociology tells us how to become what we want to be' (Giddings, 2011). However, discussions of the social sciences can be controversial, as they are sometimes perceived as ‘inferior’ to natural sciences. To alleviate this discrepancy, it is essential to supply professionals with useful knowledge in the field of sociology, understand their motivations and ensure the best career prospects for them. In this pilot study, 18 sociology B.A. students answered seven open-ended questions in the form of a short essay regarding their motivations in terms of faculty choices, initial expectations and the fulfilment thereof, their aims in the study of sociology, preferred areas of employment, willingness to undergo further training, five-year plans and their opinions about the prospects of newly graduated sociologists in Hungary compared to graduates from other areas in terms of the usefulness of knowledge gained, perceptions of their professions and earning opportunities. According to the results of this study, the future plans of the participants were very different, but all of them believe that an undergraduate sociology degree provides extensive knowledge about the functioning of society and has helped them to form attitudes that they consider to be extremely valuable on the labour market.

Highlights

IntroductionBy definition, ‘sociology is a social science that studies human societies, their interactions, and the processes that preserve and change them
Sociology as a science is essential for understanding the functioning of society
The present pilot study aims to provide a snapshot of the motivations and self-perceived career prospects of undergraduate sociology students, hypothesising that they will have experienced misconceptions related to overall societal perceptions of sociology, identifying potential patterns in their motivations and career prospects and eventually observing whether these patterns are worthy of further examination on a larger scale

Summary

Introduction

By definition, ‘sociology is a social science that studies human societies, their interactions, and the processes that preserve and change them. It does this by examining the dynamics of constituent parts of societies such as institutions, communities, populations, and gender, racial, or age groups. Sociologists – together with representatives of other disciplines – take on the task of helping us to better understand the world around us. During their training, it is essential to supply them with motivation and ensure the best career prospects for them. The present pilot study aims to provide a snapshot of the motivations and self-perceived career prospects of undergraduate sociology students, hypothesising that they will have experienced misconceptions related to overall societal perceptions of sociology, identifying potential patterns in their motivations and career prospects and eventually observing whether these patterns are worthy of further examination on a larger scale

Methodology

Findings

Conclusion