Sociologist (Socioloog)
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A sociologist is a scientist who specializes in sociology. Sociology comes down to studying the social relationships between people and society. As a sociologist, there are different areas of interest, such as politics, culture, religion and economics. Studying social relations may relate to specific target groups, such as unemployed people, sick people or people working in a particular industry, or may involve politicians or religious people. In addition to studying people, a sociologist is responsible for coming up with solutions to social problems. The substantive work of a sociologist can differ per assignment and does not always have to do with groups of people. For example, a sociologist can also investigate how people behave within an amusement park or investigate how people behave in the office. Furthermore, it is not easy to indicate what a sociologist does exactly, because this can relate to different topics. Think, for example, of investigating how a government comes about and what changes this will bring to people. Another research question is what the position of women is on the labour market, or the question why there are many people with a certain origin living in certain neighbourhoods. It is the sociologist who will approach and investigate these questions in a scientific way. Sociology is also called sociology of science or sociology of science. This science relates to social activities, social conditions and to social effects, including social structures and processes. As a sociologist, you are therefore responsible for studying people in their social environment including their behavior. This usually relates to specific target groups.
Thus, a sociologist is responsible for investigating social relationships between people and their behaviors in society. Think, for example, of investigating how people behave within a certain political environment or of studying people who belong to a certain religious belief. Another research question is why certain groups of young people are more likely to commit crime and are overrepresented within certain crime rates. In addition, a sociologist can investigate the influence of social media on people and their behavior. For example, a sociologist can investigate why people behave differently on the internet than in reality. As a sociologist, you are in most cases responsible for investigating inequalities within society, which can cause possible problems and/or conflicts within society. It is the sociologists who study how people live together in society, and it is the sociologists who investigate what influences people have to deal with that can affect the social environment. Despite the fact that sociology has common ground with psychology, sociology cannot be classified as psychology. The important difference between sociology and psychology is that psychology is not focused on groups of people. A psychologist deals with individuals and not with groups of people. This does not alter the fact that a sociologist can specialize in social psychology.
URBAN SOCIOLOGIST AND THE GOVERNMENT
A sociologist with a specialization in urban sociology is called an urban sociologist. An urban sociologist can be very important for the government, such as local governments. Consider, for example, a municipality that wishes to renew a certain neighborhood. It is the urban sociologist who can carry out research to identify certain problems and who can propose a possible solution to solve the problems. This research and advice is useful for urban planners and planners because in this way they get extra information that is based on scientific research. For example, the research can show that there should be a better mix of social rental housing and owner-occupied homes, or that more shops should be built in the neighborhood so that the quality of life of the neighborhood increases. In some cases, a sociologist can be regarded as a public administration expert.
SOCIOLOGIST IN BUSINESS
As a sociologist, you can also work for the business community. It is not the case that all sociologists work for the government. It is true that sociologists generally only work for the larger companies, or that they are hired through consultancies. Sociologists also work outside the government, depending on the specialisation. For example, a sociologist may work as a market researcher. In this case, it is the sociologist's job to investigate a particular market and come up with advice that can help a company further. But also think of the profession of career advisor, which can relate to a sociologist.
WHAT DOES A SOCIOLOGIST DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME A SOCIOLOGIST
Anyone who aspires to a career as a sociologist will have to follow the university study sociology. The Bachelor's programme in Sociology takes three years and the Master's programme another one to two years. During this study you will learn to look at society in a broad way and you will be taught in various subjects such as economics, organizational science, political science and you will learn to present research. For more information on this subject, see also the Dutch Sociological Association. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE A SOCIOLOGIST CAN WORK
A sociologist can work for various companies, institutions and governments. Think, for example, of a market researcher, opinion maker, investigative journalist or a job with the government as a policy advisor. In addition, a sociologist can work for a research institution. In some cases, a sociologist can also be regarded as a consultant. A job within education is also possible. In that case, you usually work as a social studies teacher.
COMPETENCES SOCIOLOGIST
As a sociologist, analytical thinking is perhaps one of the most important competencies. In addition, as a sociologist, you are a scientific researcher and you will therefore have to have research skills. In addition, you will need to have excellent communication skills. Generally important words for a sociologist are listening, insight, people knowledge, interviewing, perseverance, solution orientation, performance, inspiration and collaboration. Finally, it is not unimportant to mention that as a sociologist, you will have to be a networker.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS A SOCIOLOGIST
The labour market perspective of a sociologist is generally good. This is especially the case because as a sociologist, you are widely deployable for various employers. The labour market perspective of a sociologist can differ per specialisation. The career opportunities as a sociologist should be seen in obtaining a PhD, conducting scientific research or obtaining a managerial position. In addition, starting your own business can be seen as growing.
WORKING CONDITIONS AND SALARY SOCIOLOGIST
There are no examples of the employment conditions because as a sociologist, you can work for different types of employers in different industries. A sociologist in paid employment will usually earn a salary between 3000 and 6000 euros gross per month, depending on age, education and further responsibilities. Within this profession, a higher salary is conceivable if you have a job with many responsibilities.
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