B. A. in Sociology - Understanding and Decoding the Science Behind Human Social Behavior
Blog / September 18, 2024
What comes to your mind when you hear the word sociology? Dr. Samuel Richards explained it as "the study of the way in which human beings are shaped by things that they don't see."
Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions, and how it impacts the society. It deals with topics ranging from crime to religion, from the family to the state, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from social stability to radical change in whole societies. Sociology focuses on understanding how human action and consciousness are impacted by surrounding cultural and social structures. It explains important matters in our personal lives, communities, and the world. It affects us on an individual, societal, and even global level.
For students, sociology is very different from what they learn in their schools and yet consists of everything they have ever learned. Students are trained to think critically about human social life and how to be very careful while asking important research questions. They are taught to design good social research projects, carefully collect and analyze empirical data, and formulate and present their research findings. Students understand how the social world works and how it might be changed for the better, and know how to help others. Overall, they learn how to think, evaluate, and communicate clearly, creatively, and effectively which opens the doors for many prospects in their career.
To be a part of the world of sociology, one needs to start a degree that can give them a rudimentary knowledge of the subject. To begin, students pursue a B. A. in Sociology to kickstart their careers. Through its particular analytical perspective, social theories, and research methods, Sociology is a discipline that expands the awareness and analysis of the human social relationships, cultures, and institutions that profoundly shape our lives and history. Some well-known B. A. Sociology subjects are Sociological Theory, Understanding Modernity, Anthropological Theory, Market, Exchange and Obligation, Religion and Society, etc.
About B. A. (Research) in Sociology Program at Shiv Nadar (Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University)
B. A. (Research) in Sociology at Shiv Nadar (Institution of Eminence, Deemed to be University) is a far-reaching discipline that students can take advantage of by looking into sociology problems and trying to provide solutions. By enabling students to study social life, social change, communities and their interactions, and cultural phenomenon, Shiv Nadar IoE fosters their critical and analytical thinking, innovation, and problem-solving skills.
Key outcomes of the B. A. (Research) In Sociology program offered at Shiv Nadar IoE
- Understand the changing nature of society
- Analyze the relationship between the empirical and the conceptual
- Knowledge of fieldwork and research methods
- Critical writing capability
- Acquire critical tools to interrogate every day
- Think through the interconnections between the local and the global, and
- Reflect on the intersection between polity, economy, and society
Shiv Nadar IoE enables students to integrate coursework across the humanities and social sciences with the natural sciences, engineering and technology studies, communication, and business. Sociology Major, a multidisciplinary framework, trains scholars and professionals to be engaged as critical thinkers and rigorous social analysts. The program enables students to engage with a rapidly transforming world.
Students pursuing the B. A. in Sociology undergraduate program combine core courses with departmental electives of their choice from a wide range of subjects offered. In the fourth year, students have to undertake a supervised one-year research, which entails field or archival work culminating in a B. A. thesis. In addition, they go beyond the classroom by helping organize and participate in a whole range of intellectual activities including academic seminars, conferences, exhibitions, libraries, archive projects, and ongoing research initiatives and collaborations.
The B. A. Sociology's scope is very vast. Students of B. A. (Research) in Sociology at Shiv Nadar IoE have been able to be part of different sectors, including Public Administration, working with nonprofit organizations, Gerontology, Journalism, Health and Medicine, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice System, etc. Furthermore, Sociology majors go on to law school and postgraduate degree programs in Social Work, Education, Public Policy, Mass Communication, Public Health, and Nonprofit Administration.
The famous lines said by Pierre Bourdieu, “The function of sociology, as of every science, is to reveal that which is hidden,” compare Sociology with Science for discovering the hidden aspects of humans and society. Hence, to dive into the mechanics of society, you need to start with a B. A. in Sociology program.