Careers for Sociologists

At Rhodes University students do a core year of general sociology and then specialise at second year, choosing either sociology or industrial sociology.

SOCIOLOGY, which specialises in social theory, method, social research, and selected topics of general sociological interest (women, family, state, religion, rural issues, etc.) provides the graduate with a wide choice of careers. Any job that requires an understanding of people and social behaviour will be on interest. Public relations, journalism, social work, community development, personnel, law, management, social research, politics, education, advertising, market research, social and economic development, the diplomatic corps, health policy, housing, recreation, public administration, are but a few examples.

INDUSTRIAL SOCIOLOGY, which specialises in issues pertaining to the workplace (industrial relations, management strategies, trade unions, industrial research, etc.) prepares the student for a career in industry. A wide variety of jobs are possible, including management related ones (personnel, labour relations, public negotiations, coordination). Another area that is becoming increasingly popular with industrial sociology graduates is industrial conflict mediation and consultancy.

It is worth noting that many large corporations and multinationals favour social science graduates for management training, as they are regarded as having the appropriate characteristics for a leadership role: flexibility, an in-depth understanding of human behaviour, and the ability to innovate.