New public sociology program focuses on social justice, activism

BY ADRIENNE FRANK

RELATED LINK > Public Sociology Masters Program

The program may be in its first semester, but the idea behind the College of Arts and Science’s new public sociology concentration is a familiar one.

“The concept of the sociologist being civically engaged is not new. In fact, we have a long history of support for social justice issues and activism,” said program coordinator Douglas Klayman.

The difference between the new track and the existing MA program, Klayman said, is that the new program will train students to better apply theory and methods in practical ways, and to communicate information outside of an academic setting.

“Historically, sociologists learned these skills after they graduated, through work experience,” he said. “We want to give them the training they need to be successful before they graduate.”

Ten students are enrolled in the public sociology track, which began this semester. Deanna Sheppard said she became interested in the program after meeting with Klayman this summer. Sheppard, who aspires to work for a think tank or a government agency, said the program offered “the mix I was looking for.” And, she said, you can’t beat the location. “There are so many different internship and volunteer opportunities in D.C., it’s great.”

The curriculum includes a seminar in public sociology and an internship seminar, along with classes in statistics, research methods, and theory. Three to six credit hours are also reserved for interdisciplinary electives; students are encouraged to take such classes as public communication writing within the School of Communication or justice and public policy within the School of Public Affairs.

“We think it’s important for [students] to broaden their horizons a bit,” Klayman said. “They’ll likely be working with a variety of other professionals and will need training that can enhance their skill set.”

The public sociology track aims to prepare students for careers as community organizers, policy analysts, consultants, program evaluators, nonprofit managers, and as government researchers and administrators—careers that are “very much in demand,” according to Klayman.

“Given the growing need for professionals who understand human behavior, can systematically collect, organize, and synthesize information, and communicate [it] in ways that are valuable to people,” the job prospects are virtually unlimited, he said—especially in a place like Washington.”