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RE: Applied Sociology: Research Supporting Non-Profits Pursuing Elevated Social Paradigms
Yes! Sociology is actually very useful, once you understand what sort of tool it is. Are you most interested in qual methods, or quant? And what courses have you enjoyed the most? Do you have thoughts about what direction you want to go after school?
I just finished my first semester and it's not a pure sociology program so I just learned the basics and read "The modern social conflict" by Dahrendorf. Will have methodology this coming semester, maybe then I can answer which ones my fav. Which one do you prefer and why? I have a couple thoughts about my direction afterwards but it really depends on how everything will develop these next years. Good day :)
I am 90% qualitative because I like getting at things like values, meanings, emotions, culture, and beliefs and while these things can be measured quantitatively, I don't think that the results are as nuanced. I like talking to people and observing. I do fine in my professional life being qual only, but I do need to rely on partners that are quant specialists at times.
That said - there are certainly more opportunities for quant folks than for qual folks. So if you are really keeping an eye on your career as opposed to what you simply like the best, I would make sure you leave school with some good quant skills. I have considered taking a refresher course in statistics so that I could have more access to certain types of work.
Check out pewresearch.org. They are an amazing non-partisan think tank that is almost entirely quant. I would like to work with a place like this, or establish my own someday.... Pew is essentially all quant though.
Best of luck, and always feel free to drop me a line!!