Graduation is just two weeks away, people are entering the “real world” and others are choosing their classes for next year – or their graduate school of choice.
With our society the way it is, it’s hard to know which college major will give you the best chance of thriving in this so-called “real world.” Books are being replaced by computers, methods of communication are advancing almost every day and it’s oftentimes not enough to just have a college degree when trying to get a job. Thinking about these things brings up the question of what you can do to understand why society is the way it is and how you can contribute to it.
In fact, a whole academic field is devoted, in part, to asking this question and other questions like it. The social sciences are concerned with studying the nature of society and the nature of humans in general. This field encompasses everything from history to psychology to political science.
Choosing a major in this field is sometimes regarded as a soft option, and sometimes these studies are not seen as “real” sciences. However, our society has changed so much from what it has been – it is advancing so quickly that learning how to ask the right questions and offer possible answers could prove to be an invaluable skill.
No matter what job you go into after college, you will most likely find you have to work with people very different than you and learn how to manage them. Alford Young, who chairs the sociology department at the University of Michigan, has some interesting thoughts on how sociology can help you relate to people. He states:
“Sociology is the discipline that gives the greatest attention to social difference…We need to look beyond people’s individual motivations or their psychological foundations and gain a better understanding of how people’s social location with regard to gender or race influences their thinking and behavior.”
Young makes a very good point when he suggests we often attribute social differences to people on an individual level, when in fact each individual is influenced by many components of society. By majoring in one of the fields of sociology, you will likely find yourself more prepared to perceive differences between people you meet and more able to deal with them.
Understanding why humans are the way they are, and why society is the way it is, will enable you to consider another important question: Is it working? Is the society in which you live operating in a way you find to be working? If so, why is it working? If not, what could be done to improve it?
Despite the fact the social sciences field has proven to be a very real and complex area of study, funding for social science research continues to be cut at the national level. In February, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., called for cutting National Science Foundation funding for social science. In addition, in early April Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., amended a federal spending law that removed National Science Foundation funding for political science research, except in studies deemed important for national security. According to USA Today, Coburn said the restriction would better focus scarce basic research dollars on “important scientific endeavors.”
A Harvard Business Review article by Duncan Watts, “The Importance of Studying the Obvious,” helps to explain why funding has been cut and questions whether this is the right move. Many people who control NSF funding feel most research projects in the social sciences have little value to society. This is sometimes true. However, many projects in other areas of science are just as irrelevant as far as providing immediate, concrete value to society. So why is the social sciences field singled out?
The main reason, Watts said, is that people perceive findings from social science research as “common sense.” Research results in the sociology field apply to people, not atoms or animals, and as such people feel researchers are telling them what they already know about themselves. The process of proving these “common sense” conclusions, however, is just as arduous as proving any other scientific hypothesis. Moreover, Watts said when findings from studies do not support our intuition, the tendency is to dismiss them rather than be surprised or impressed. This is partly why funding is often cut for social science research.
Though some findings in social science research may seem like common sense, they can actually have important implications in our changing society. Examples are companies like Facebook, Microsoft and Google, who are hiring more and more researchers to ask questions about how their companies relate to society and to merge social science with computer science. More examples of this field’s usefulness can be found in virtually all areas of politics and international relations, including issues of economic development, social inequalities and ethical standards.
These examples support the idea that gaining knowledge of the social sciences is indeed useful. We should seriously question whether funding should be cut for it, and if the reasons given for cutting the funding are valid. While a degree in the social sciences may not seem like the most useful or profitable choice on the outset, it is important to consider how this field of study may contribute to society in new and meaningful ways.
Julia Wagner ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in English literature.
