Most people would agree that we live in a society whereby we follow certain norms (behaviours) and values associated with what is considered ‘normal’. Whether it involves something as small as eating with a knife and folk or as huge as not committing murder. Of course, these rules we play by can differ from society to society worldwide as even from the beginning we are socialised into a certain way of life and thinking. This can relate to many other factors in our lives and of course, this too encounters the way we dress too. We show a tendency in showing what we wear on daily basis just to fit the criteria of a certain social situation or impression we are trying to make for that matter like the way we dress for school or work every morning. Yet we are drawn to the idea that these norms and values in society are a given, for how we should live our lives, acceptance of the place we were born into, and the expectations that come with growing up. This is where sociology comes in, as you may be aware sociology is all about questioning the obvious or trying to figure out what we do not yet understand, even capturing the minor things, people, or issues that often get overlooked in society. Sociology is one of the most historical subjects of learning in the world of academia and remains an essential part of the disciplines of social science. As you might tell, Sociology is an extremely broad subject area.
From personal experience at York St John University, the course covers a wide range of subjects to choose from including examples experienced in the first year included in the following; Introduction to sociological Thought, Sociology of everyday Life, Social Inequalities (found at https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/social-sciences/sociology-ba-hons/). Each one of these modules is applied to deepening a bettering understanding of the study of society but also allows applying own imagination and creativity in finding solutions. As you progress onto the second and third year of sociology at YSJ you will find yourself to have the skills and knowledge to narrow down which subjects captures your interest the most. The benefit of this subject is using your own identity and experiences by applying them to your work by navigating what you as a researcher or sociologist enjoy learning about. Class, Age, Gender, and Ethnicity are just some of the factors that define you and communities that live in society, therefore, are considered some of the foundations for what sociology is built upon. Social science also means you get to endeavour all kinds of ways of studying sociology, including your topic of interest, using research methods, plus applying quantitative statistical data and qualitative methods of observations and interviews, and many more. Something you will gradually get used to during the course in the second year of study is that sociology is not a fixed subject it is incredibly flexible, therefore experimenting with different things and ideas are always important.
The relevance of the course is essential to all things, as it offers vital learning of social and human behaviour that is applied to many jobs and in everyday life. Human resources, Retail management, Youth and community, Social policy, Police and so on all require candidates with a good understanding of people and how these societal systems function. You also learn more about modern developments and major phenomena such as feminism, technology, and social media, and even the impact of Corvid- 19 is considered and talked about in this course. Opinions and reflectivity matter considerably as valuable elements of this subject, which you will demonstrate through several techniques such as presentations, written work, media, and own experience. Sociology BA is a useful course for looking at things from a different perspective, exploring changes, and figuring out meaningful ways of organising or even reshaping society as we understand it today. The society we know it can be and is what we as people make it out to be.
The third year, Sociology student, York St John University, Leah Elizabeth McConnell, 08/01/2021
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