Two Major Activities of Sociologists
Sociologists are scientists that study groups of people. They research inter-group dynamics and how the group is affected by society. Groups may be small, or they may be large. For example, some sociologists study professional associations, while others study masses of consumers. They work as researchers who publish their findings in written form. Some work for private companies and organizations, and many teach in colleges and universities.
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Research
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Sociologists are typically academics who study groups of people around the world. They may study the office dynamics of corporations or college student groups. They want to discover laws of human behavior by studying groups of humans, and they often study the origins and development of groups for that purpose. They study political, religious, ethnic and other social groups, and they also study entire nations. They research how people or groups react to social changes, such as the spread of technology. They design their research projects to incorporate a number of types of analysis, including quantitative, qualitative, comparative and historical. They try to discover patterns of human behavior that can be used to make better decisions about social and political policy, help people manage their lives better or explain social trends.
Writing
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Sociologists write up their research findings in articles, surveys, studies and reports for journals and conferences. They may read or expand on any writings they have published after conducting a study. They share their findings with other sociologists who may want to try to duplicate their findings or study a different aspect of their topics.
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Where
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Travel can be an important part of sociologists work. If they study groups in a different location than where they live, they will usually travel to study the group in person. They may live and work with the group they want to know more about. They may also work in their own communities. They might study corporations located nearby or far away, or work as marketing consultants, studying consumers around the country. Sociologists may study rural or urban groups that could be in the next town or halfway around the world. Sociologists may work for private social service or government social service agencies. They may also work as consultants. Their research is used to shape social policy and to educate people who work with groups of people on a regular basis.
Teaching
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Another of sociologists' main activities is teaching. They train students to become sociologists and to look at human behavior in a new way. Over half of sociologists work in colleges and universities, both as teachers and as researchers. They may teach any number of sociology-related classes, from introductory courses to upper-level undergraduate courses to graduate courses. Their other teaching-related duties include grading papers, proctoring exams, tutoring and keeping office hours.
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