Sunday, October 14, 2007

Why Sociology Degrees Are Worthless

I used to teach at a community college and in doing so was teaching some of the lesser privilaged kids. And by that time if you really want to help them, you have to shed the touchy feely BS they feed them in k-12 education and deal them the hard facts of life that might actually help them;
"No, majoring in travel and hospitality will not make you $50,000 a year fresh out of college."

"No, majoring in hair salonistry will not make you a millionaire and no you won't work in Hollywood."


And thus they are crushed, but at least they are introduced to the real world at the younger age of 21-22 instead of being lied to until they're 40.

But still to this day I am amazed at the vitrolic and hate-filled response I get from students, younger people and even older people when I tell them majoring in sociology, philosophy, or travel and such is essentially a waste of time. In a sad sense it shows you how humans rather be lied to than told the truth, even if it is in their best interest...essentially how the democrats and socialists stay in power.

Regardless, reason sometimes doesn't work on people, leaving statistics to your last resort.

Mayhaps this will explain why farming subsidies and the auto industry are becoming obsolete;


13 comments:

John Chrysostom said...

eh, you are a little bit off here. Philosophy majors by and large go to law school. I can't speak to what sociology majors generally do.

Also, this post doesn't speak to people who want academic jobs -- majoring in sociology is pretty sound if you want to be a sociology professor.

Ro! said...

"...least they are introduced to the real world at the younger age of 21-22 instead of being lied to until they're 40'.

By the time they are 40, they are so depended on welfare and other entitlements, there is no way out! A very effective education system (govt. Indoctrination) we have in this country. don’t you think?

Anonymous said...

Which of the four groups in the graph represents government employees?

Anonymous said...

The shortest distance between two points isn't necessarily a straight line. I've always noticed when I read the biographies of the fund managers in my mutual fund prospectus-es how many philosophy majors I see there. Philosophy done correctly teaches you how to think logically,clearly, and decreases your suseptability to the madness of crowds.

It's far easier to pick up accounting on the job or on your own that to improve your core reasoning abilities.

David A. Fraser said...

I think that you're a bit off too. I majored in history and my honours seminars had 7 of us, 5 of whom when on to become lawyers. I on the otherhand lived the bohemian life for a year and then got a piddly tech diploma and am now making sweet 6-figures with my cushy software-engineering job. Now it could stated that my tech diploma is the nature of the vocational situation I currently enjoy but I don't know if my brain would have been prepared for it unless it had been exercised and exorcised by 4 years of critical thinking and essay writing and debating, etc. Anyway..

Lew Dalew said...

People keep pointing out that so and so types go on to become lawyers, as if being a lawyer means you're successful.

On average, a law degree is a waste of time. The average person with a law degree makes around $50,000 to start and the average amount of indebtness is around $90K. That's a losing battle if you ask me.

Steve said...

The young sociologist is victimized, and must go through the kubler-ross syndrome after discovering the futility of his major. Four years of hard study, marx, weber, freud, all to find out that his peers were studying accounting, economics, management.....There aren't any damned hard skills in the soc major.

Graduate school is a must for the young sociologist when he realizes the field doesn't exist.

cprudhomme said...

I am a sociology/History major. Both degrees are widely considered to be worthless. The crux in the argument is that these assumptions are based on the BA degree, which in many disciplines is almost worthless. Do not major in something that you are not familiar enough with to know that a mere BA isn't enough to get you a relevant job. If you love pure sociology your only real option IMO is to go all the way so that you can actually get paid to do research/teach. And you better stand out because academic careers are hard to come by. A competitive market favors the competitive.

Unknown said...

I am completing a sociology BA right now and everything about it being a waste of time is absolutely true, however i have found myself being more generally positive in day to day life which stems from an understanding of the how and why of everyday life in a macro environment. The field is a realistic and critical approach to ourselves and provides important research for policy development either within a company or government. People don't understand the point of sociology because they don't have the social awareness it teaches you.

Unknown said...

I am completing a sociology BA right now and everything about it being a waste of time is absolutely true, however i have found myself being more generally positive in day to day life which stems from an understanding of the how and why of everyday life in a macro environment. The field is a realistic and critical approach to ourselves and provides important research for policy development either within a company or government. People don't understand the point of sociology because they don't have the social awareness it teaches you.

Anonymous said...

I bought one of those lies in my twenties. Remember, your college advisor is the one selling you the degree, so they will say sociology will help you fly, perhaps in a beautiful balloon.

My undergrad counselor told me sociology would be needed everywhere, and then they described some rare master's and doctorate roles acting like they would be achieved with a bachelors degree.

At the end of the program the placement department openly stated, "We just don't place sociology majors!" This degree is now my second high school diploma. Psychology bears the same curse.

Anonymous said...

My story: I grew up in a “upper-middle class” suburb to Washington DC to ignorant upper-middle class parents. I went to a private primary school and later a private high school. Just like my parents my teachers, relatives and adult social circle told me all kind of BS about the worth of higher education. I graduated with fairly good grades. After college, I spent a year traveling in Europe before entering a private (and snotty) liberal arts college. I graduate with a BA in Pol. Science. I couldn't find a job and my grades were apparently not enough for a Law School. There was also a horrible oversupply (and still is) over Law graduates. I then went for an M.Ed at one of the best private universities in the country. I left after a semester because teaching was not for me. Shortly after I went for an MA in Public Policy at the same University.

Subsequently I completed a second BA in sociology and Statistics in the same school. I had high hopes (All my professors had for some weird reason high hopes for me) of getting into a doctoral program but I failed because my thesis was not good enough. I did a few prestigious internships and was almost hired. I received some impressive letter of recommendation. However, finding a job was impossible. I was competing with people who had 20-30 year long careers behind them for entry-level positions and for clerical positions I could have got without going to college. I understood that I would get a decent job or even a first career path.

So what did I do? Well, I entered a regional State University and got that horrible M.Ed. I also took a few college correspondence courses. After I graduated I worked as substitute teacher for over a year in rural Nebraska (!). Shortly after I was hired by a public Middle School in Minneapolis. I have been working for two years and I hate my job other than the paperwork - which makes me a “different” kind of teacher. I make no secret that I want to become a school administrator. At least I do not have to deal directly with kids. The only good part being a teacher is that I make more than a retail clerk. However, they have not student loans to repay.

I have just married a fellow teacher. An Ivy League economist who worked for Wall Street for three years until she was fired a few years ago along with many other junior bankers. She became a Middle School teacher because of lack of better opportunities. I will become a father to a daughter within a month or so. Our first child. I do not think we can afford to have a second. I will teach my daughter working class common sense instead of that crap I was told by parents, teachers,relatives, friends and professors. So? If you cannot become a dentist or an MD than do not go to college. By the way - I will vote for Trump because I have had enough.

The Teacher (Never mind my poor writting skills)

Anonymous said...

I grew up in a “upper-middle class” suburb to Washington DC
went to a private primary school and later a private high school
I spent a year traveling in Europe before private (and snotty) liberal arts college.
I then went for an M.Ed at one of the best private universities in the country.
I went for an MA in Public Policy at the same University.

I completed a second BA in sociology and Statistics
I entered a regional State University and got that horrible M.Ed.
I have been working for two years and I hate my job


Wow, such privilege: private schools, travelling in Europe, two useless bachelors and two masters degrees for a job you hate.