In the contemporary date and time, our society is one such aspect of the global community that demands the most attention and excellence of skills to merely keep it from falling apart. The need of the hour is not only to grow economically but also sustainably.
Many of us remain stuck in the endless loop of serving the best to our society, while also pursuing what we adore. But, what if our search ends here?
A decent career in sociology is one such key to the problems of today’s generation. Not only does it give you an elegant path to follow, but also a one-time opportunity to give back to society in sheer abundance.
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Who is a Sociologist?
Having mentioned so much about the societal facets, it becomes customary to brief you about who a sociologist is, and what are the roles and responsibilities one needs to undertake as a sociologist.
Assume that a company wants to find out the impact of a new or existing policy/law, that is widely implicated, on a particular demographic, say women.
How will the company be assisted in doing the same? Those who are ambitiously pursuing a career in sociology would be considered to have the relevant expertise and adroitness for analyzing the impact of a particular law on women.
As a sociologist, one should expect to spend a fair amount of his/her time studying behaviors about an individual, a group, an organization, and the interaction between them.
In doing so, the effect of social influences (conformity, compliance, and obedience) is examined as exercised by institutional authorities on a diverse group of individuals. To arrive at a plausible explanation of their research, sociologists often engage in knowing the whereabouts (origin and causal factors) of human behavior and interpersonal relationships.
The word ‘sociology’ can be traced back to its origin from the Latin word socius which means ‘companion’ and the Greek word logos, meaning ‘speech or reason’. Clubbing the two together, we get “reasoned speech about companionship”, which is the most relevant definition of sociology till date.
In studying societal and human behavior, a sociologist implies a variety of methods and techniques including social surveys (utilizing questionnaire), interviews, experiments, observations, qualitative and quantitative research methods, amongst many others.
Besides studying society in a wide variety of focuses, the primary responsibility of a sociologist includes discovering and organizing knowledge about social life as a whole, and developing a blueprint of day-to-day interactions.
Sometimes, the research also demands a sociologist to bounce back in analyzing large scale historical events that are relevant in impacting present-day activities.
Collaborating with other social scientists to prepare reports, articles, and presentations is just another ordinary role in the life of a sociologist that helps him succeed and grow in the interested area. Apart from this, consulting and advising policymakers, and clients, corresponding to sociological issues makes this field even more beguiling.
Building up a career in sociology gives ultimate exposure and space to enlarge one’s horizons.
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How to Become a Sociologist in India?
If we ask a layperson to think of a regular society in India, he might end up saying that it is the stockpiling of hierarchical customs and norms; put together with a host of caste and race systems. Why is it so?
Society, as defined by the prolific writers, stands as a ‘group of people who love in a definable territory and share the same culture’.
The mere difference between the two thoughts and understanding systems is the need of standard sociologists in India.
Today, India has more awareness about the subject of sociology than other top-notch nations, say US or UK. Indian students are starting to show an increasing interest in the field (probably accredited to the immensely impressive course structure), scheduling intensive on-field projects and field trips to gain an increasing understanding about the subject.
Pursuing a career in sociology in India is a dream for many that can be easy to attain, given the right amount of passion, ammunition, and interest.
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Eligibility
Numerous institutes in India offer courses in sociology at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Many sociologists in India come from different backgrounds including sociology, statistics, psychology, and English.
In order to pursue sociology at the Undergraduate level, one needs to
- Passed class 12th with social science as one of the main subjects from any recognized Board or stream.
- Minimum of 50% cumulative aggregate at the qualifying level examination.
- Complete (B.A) Sociology, B.A (Hons) Sociology, or its related fields
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For postgraduate courses in sociology
- 60% of passing percentage at the undergraduate level in Sociology
- The type of courses a candidate pursues depends upon what the professional goals of that individual are. Courses like M.A in Sociology, M.Phil in Sociology, and PhD in Sociology are some postgraduate courses.
Required Skills
- Analytical Skills: In order to test theories, and research outcomes, it is required for sociologists to carefully analyse and organize data, and information.
- Communication skills: Possession of exemplary verbal and oral communication skills for reporting their research findings, conducting interviews, and conducting other participatory activities with clients, and other social scientists.
- Logical thinking and problem-solving: Since a career in sociology requires one to be constantly seeking for answers and novel information, it is a mandate for people looking forward to pursue their careers in this field, to be bestowed with exceptional skills like creativity, curiosity, critical thinking, analysis, and logical planning, amongst many others. Recognizing, studying, and solving sociological issues are some of the key abilities that are hands down, most exclusively required.
- Educational Capabilities: Intensive broad training in quantitative and qualitative research, ability to conduct analytical, methodological, and conceptual analysis is the intellectually put forward skills that can help anyone stand out in the crowd.
Top Institutions offering Sociology Courses
- University of Pune, Pune
- University of Mumbai, Mumbai
- Annamalai University, Cuddalore
- Bangalore University, Bangalore
- University of Delhi, Delhi
- Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi
- Christ University, Bangalore
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Maharashtra
- NIMS University, Rajasthan
Sociology Course Syllabus and Duration
Before commencing a career in sociology, it is very important to have a glance at the things that one gets to learn throughout their journey in this field.
As mentioned earlier, sociology in India is gaining greater awareness than the US or UK and a major contribution of this achievement is devoted to the attractive, and interesting syllabi curriculum and the course structure. Given here is the detailed information about course syllabus, structure, and duration of sociology as practiced in the Indian educational institutions.
Syllabus
B.A Sociology and B.A (Hons) Sociology: A bachelor’s degree in Sociology in India is about three years long, inclusive of practicals, field trips, and examinations (both internal and external).
Topics
Particulars
- Introduction to Sociology
- Indian Sociology
- Sociology of Religion
- Economic Sociology
- Sociology of Kinship
- Political Sociology
- Environment and Society
- Sociology of Gender
- Sociological Theories
- Social Stratification
- Methods in Sociological Research
- Urban Sociology
- Industrial Sociology
M.A Sociology: While some students earn their online master’s degree in 18 months, a master’s degree for Sociology in India is approximately two years long, if attended full time, including field trips, examinations (internal and external), and practicals.
Category
Topics
Compulsory
- General Sociology
- Industrial Sociology
- Classical Sociological Theory
- Perspectives on Indian Society
- Indian Society and Culture
- Sociology of Rural Development
- Rural Sociology
- Qualitative and Quantitative
- Research
- Advanced Social Theory Trends
- Sociology of Organization and Human Resource
- Sociological Concepts and Key Ideas
- Sociology of Mass Communication
Optional
- Gender and Society
- Sociology of Health
- Sociology of Population Studies
- Sociology of Marginalized Sections
- Social Change and Development
- Computer Applications in Social Research
- Social Psychology
- Social Problems
- Social Anthropology
- Criminology
- Urban Sociology
- Social Movements in India
- Sociology of Religion
- Sociology of Education
- Political Sociology
- Environment and Society
Job description and Responsibility
According to estimates, the job outlook for sociologists was expected to grow by 9% from 2018 to 2028, which is comparatively faster than other related occupations. Today, sociologists have marked their presence in a wide array of careers. The skills incorporated inside a sociologist are in huge demand in almost every field contemporarily.
Some of the popularly mentioned job profiles of a sociologist include, teachers/professors, psychologists, guidance counselors, market research analyst, management consultant, social worker, and volunteer. Sociologists specialize in areas such as education and health, criminal frame, families, population, social inequality, aging, attitude development, and gender, racial, and ethnic relations, but do not remain limited to this.
In order to analyze different aspects of a society, a sociologist is required to break components down into 4 separate areas, i.e., micro-sociology, macro-sociology, meso-sociology, and global-sociology.
A sociologist in India is expected to fulfill certain duties, roles, and responsibilities to make him a compatible and accurate fit for any firm. Some such responsibilities include:
- Our minds are cluttered with the expense of so much of social thinking. The task of a sociologist is to steer clear this misinformation and superstition accumulated in our minds through empirical ways like hereditary, race, class, sex differences, deviation and much more.
- Discovering and organizing knowledge about social life.
- Making sociological predictions and advising policymakers in selection of implementation of different policies and laws.
- Showing causal relationships about societal constructs.
- Making value judgments, joining and leading adequate reform movements, and supporting revolutionary causes.
Sociologist Salary in India
As in any other field or subject of study, the salary of a sociologist depends upon and is directly proportional to the education and experience of the desired candidate.
Amongst these two parameters, the location of job and kind of job also play a significant role in determining the pay scale of a sociologist in India. It is also worthy to note that government sectors pay less as compared to the corporate houses.
The average salary of a sociologist in India is listed as Rs. 6,90,000 per year, it increases with skills, educational qualification, and experience.
If an individual sees his career in sociology, then the expected salary for beginners is ranged in the interval of Rs. 6,000 to Rs.10,000 per month. If a sociologist is employed under the government sector, then he can expect a salary ranging between Rs. 8000 to Rs. 60,000.
These figures are estimates and can vary from company to company.
Conclusion
One of the greatest assets to humankind is the profession of a sociologist. Anyone who wants to pursue a career in sociology can see himself as being an intellectually well-developed individual, something which remains aloof from other job profiles.
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