Does anybody know why majoring in sociology does not pay off?

Question

They don't pay you for what you are really worth in sociology, monetarily and not to mention they downplay social workers...they think that soc. work is the only thing you can do w/ the sociology major...and they say the soc. major never pays off... but the real question is why do they give sociology a title, the respect to become a major in sociology, if not maybe not no more than a minor, if they realize that sociology majors will never make real money like the lawyers, doctors, or businessman? Everyone goes to college so they can make more money than the average person who doesn't go to college and just decides to go directly out of high school and into the work world, so they can make more on average from non-college graduates...why would they sabotage a young person's vulnerability, and easily impressed nature, and lead them into the path of deception knowing that they would never make the money equal for the work they do? Why would they therefore ruin a person's entire life?

Answer 1

The short answer is: Because colleges, and Universities in particular, are NOT in the business of teaching people how to make money. For that you have Junior and Community Colleges and Technical Institutes. What they are in the *business*--and it is a for-profit business you understand--of teaching, is:

They teach students how to *think*, ideally, in a manner that allows them to solve *complicated* problems. In this regard, "sociology" as meme has no more nor less importance than either "speech communication" or "differential equations". They are all fairly specialized *tools* one uses to work on a particular set of complicated problems that do *not* lend themselves to sloganized, brute-force solutions.

Never mind for the moment that there is a strong interest *against* teaching in the *ideal* or best possible way at the collegiate and University level. Universities, at least in the United States, are as much *for profit* businesses as anything else (especially the funding starved *land-grant* Universities), and it is in their best interest as a *business* to delay and prolong the educational process as *long* as the student has *money to take*. Meaning it is in their best interests in a *business* sense to encourage students, through lying and decietful Advisors among other means, to get a *mediocre* and halfassed five-year-plus "degree" that has taught them less than a competently taught and *challenging* four-year degree in the same major would. Never mind that.

Point is, Universities especially are there to teach people to think, in ways that solve problems. Breaking that down.

--Many of the non-technical majors at Universities are there to teach students to think in a manner that *challenges* Power and Authority structures. In the United States, this is a big no-no as the Plantation Economy your CEOs have worked so hard to build insist that you *suck up* and not resist. Basically, nobody wants you as an employee if you are in the habit of *thinking for yourself* and *asking questions* because it is a damn lousy *control issue* and the Rich Guys insist on *having it ALL.*

--Solving Problems in the United States of America is forbidden. What, you didn't get the memo? :) *lol* Peak Oil is coming if not *here* already. We cannot be allowed to solve problems because....**whispers** the Economy can no longer grow. Really, that is the horrid truth. It can't get any bigger and therefore *include* everyone in the whole world, *AND* also at once support an Excessive Corporate Wealth structure that elevates the CEOs to a form of societal *godhood*. Either they have to share...or they have to *cheat*.

And *cheating* is what is passing for "growth" now. We aren't allowed to solve problems, we aren't allowed to let people get out of debt or get well or get jobs or get lives, because that would *deny too many suits their jobs*. Really. ALL of the so-called Growth Sectors in the 21st century so far are *parasitic* sectors, jobs and careers that work by virtue of *Exploiting* problems indefinitely as opposed to solving them. Really. We aren't allowed to let the mentally ill heal or the substance abuser go straight, or the problem child to find a place in society, because the *problems* now have whole Cottage Industries around them that *exist* to suck the problem dry of money.

No problem. No money. That simple. So problem-solving is not allowed, and the kinds of higher *thinking* that solve complicated problems are *frowned upon if not openly Punished* by society.

And that is it basically.

Sorry I went on so, but this really is as simple as the answer gets, without going into a blow-by-blow dissertation and dissecting each individual *data point*, of which there are millions, because these are only *human lives* we are talking about here (and we treat them like so much roadkill, we do).

Answer 2

I am striving, also to get a degree in sociology. I almost hate to answer your question. I disagree with most of the people, so far. Most of the other respondents appear doom and gloom in making money with a sociology degree.

But one of my professors said to my class, if you feel that there is not enough money in your field, then you should get an advanced degree, for example, a Master's, or a PhD. And, this came from my sociology teacher. Thus, I know that I am going for a Master's.

I would at least check it out before I say, "it is not well worth all of the self sacrifice." Ask those people with an advance degree was the time and effort worth it. If they say, "no" then everybody who answered this question must have been correct. So far, I haven't heard one person to make a statement that this wasn't worth it, so I have to think it was worth it.

All I am saying is do some more homework, first. It is true that social workers don't get paid much, nowadays, but more focus is on degrees passed the bachelor's level; nothing truly has the same value it did 20, 40, 60 years ago.

As more people get into the pot, the pot becomes watered down. So, the more people who get high school, and college degrees the less important the degree. Hence, a high school degree is worth little too, the same as bachelor's. I think my sociology professor knew to tell his students the truth, so I am passing it on, also.

Answer 3

Most social workers are govenment employees. They work for the county, state or federal government. These people are always notoriously underpaid, overworked, and hassled by government rules and regulations that are so outlandish they just get apathetic.
If you are luck enough to be taken into private practice with a large hospital or rehabiltion center, you will be underpaid there also because you do not have the MD after your name. I don't know why you did not do a check to see the pay scale and work demand before you took it on as your major. It is available to you. If you are lucky enough to be one of those who did and are asking this from a purely WHY standing consider yourself lucky and tell everyone you know about what you have found out. Maybe someone will wake up when they stop turning out social workers in the future.
By the way most of the county social worker positions all you are required to have is a hs diploma and experience in a social working setting of about 5 years. Be it janitor or doctor. go figure, except there is no money for it because they have to build a new jail, for all the criminals the social worker is supposed to monitor when they are released on probation.

Answer 4

Because, like being a nurse, policeman, teacher (basically all of the human services careers), they are grossly underpayed. Movie stars makes millions of $ a year. That is why we need social workers. To re-educate and improve the intelligence of the world in general. Choices. Options. And I don't think most social workers go into it for the money. It's about redeeming the society. This society is doomed, if it does not re evaluate it's system of life. It's similar to the advanced civilizations that were extinquished. It didn't happen overnight. (Rome wasn't built in a day) Technology was supposed to make life easier and less complicated, but it has made it uglier; the proof is all around us Just look at the warped minds that spew hatred on this site. I for one, won't give up.

Answer 5

Because there are too many sociology and psychology majors. I an a psych major and could not land a job dealing with this subject. Need to go to graduate school for any hope of making any real money. Also, the entry level jobs available for those with bachelor's degree are high stress and low paying. DFYS for instance. Or alcohol rehab. And if you overlook abuse going on with a child at home, you're in deep sh!t. Just not worth it.

Answer 6

Sorry, but it was your responsibility to check the earning capability you would have with a BA in sociology. Nobody sabotaged or mislead or deceived you. Colleges give people an education. Whether that education even translates into a job is questionable. Colleges make no guarantees about the money you will make when you graduate with a BA, BS, MA or PhD. Some majors make more money than others. You were probably a legal adult when you signed up for this major. As such you had every opportunity to investigate your career opportunities and their corresponding incomes. You're no victim of anything but your own decision. .Your responsibility right now is to find a way to translate that degree into a career or find a way to go on to graduate school. As adults, we all make mistakes when making major decisions. The idea is to correct them and not blame everybody else.

Answer 7

So many people want to help other people that they almost do it for free. Plus it is easier to learn than engineering. Life is choices.

Answer 8

"They" will never pay well. I have worked for others, and they live by skimming the cream.
When you have your own concept, and business plan, financing, and customers, then you get paid properly.

http://www.kauffman.org
http://www.score.org
http://www.prosper.com

Answer 9

Look--- The answer is simple. These days you need a title to be acknowledged in the (wellness field), for psychiatry,psychiatrist, psycology, psycologist,dentristry,dentist, ----- sociology,--social worker???? Duh?