Points to Remember The majority of undergraduate majors do not go on to graduate school in sociology. We must do a better job of counseling them, because they are the bread and butter of the discipline. The market is improving for new PhDs, but sociology would have a lower unemployment rate if they were trained non-academic jobs. It looks as if cultural studies is the intellectual future of the discipline replacing family and theory, although criminal justice is where jobs are. There are small increases in minorities in the sociology pipeline, but they appear to get stuck on the way to the top. MFP helps.

The Future of Sociology: Minorities, Programs, and Jobs Slide 2

Individual and Institutional

Aspects

The Future of Sociology: Minorities, Programs, and Jobs Slide 3

4

Sociology Degrees Awarded by Degree Level, 1966 – 2010*

(number of degrees)

Source: National Center for Education Statistics. 2012. The Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Washington, DC: Department of Education. Retrieved: February 15, 2012 (https://webcaspar.nsf.gov).

* Data for PhDs earned between 2008 and 2010 are taken from the National Science Foundation's Survey of Doctoral Recipients (htts://webcaspar.nsf.gov). Slide 4

15,203

22,062

30,848

35,915

31,858

27,992

23,073

19,181

14,347

12,165 13,085

15,993

19,644

24,158 25,296

28,556 29,000

981 1,816 2,236

1,451 1,157 986 1,213 1,675 1,774 2,031 1,453

244 534 586 738 592 527 510 446 549 531 535 598 573 638 0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

66 68 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10

Bachelors

Masters

Doctorates*

5

Top Five Reasons For Majoring in Sociology, by Type of School (2005)

(Percent Responding “Very Important;” Weighted)

Source: Bachelors and Beyond Survey, 2005

Slide 5

6

Relationship Between Type of Program and Master’s Program’s Likelihood of Closing, 2011

Source: ASA Survey of Graduate Program Directors, 2011 Slide 7

7

Recommendation for Improving Graduate School Curricula by Non-Academic Sociologists

(Percentage of Respondents)

Source: Beyond the Ivory Tower: Survey for the Ford Foundation of Non-Academic PhDs in Sociology, 2005 Slide 9

Race and Ethnicity

The Future of Sociology: Minorities, Programs, and Jobs Slide 10

9

Significant Differences in the Reasons For Majoring in Sociology by Race and Ethnicity (2005)

(Percent Responding “Very Important;” Weighted)

Source: Bachelors and Beyond Survey, 2005

Slide 6

10

Sociology Degrees Awarded by Race/Ethnicity, 1995 - 2009

Percentage of Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded

Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Completions,1966-2009 (Washington, DC: NCES, 2010). Retrieved from https://webcaspar.nsf.gov (November 4, 2010). Slide 11

4.3% 5.0% 5.2% 5.2% 5.9% 6.7% 6.8%

14.0% 15.6% 16.0% 16.5% 15.6% 16.2% 16.5%

6.8% 7.7% 9.0% 9.0% 9.8% 10.1% 11.8%

70.4% 67.3%

64.5% 62.5% 61.7%

59.4% 57.0%

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Asian or Pacific IslanderBlack, Non-HispanicHispanicWhite, Non-Hispanic

11 Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Completions,1966-2009 (Washington, DC: NCES, 2010). Retrieved from https://webcaspar.nsf.gov (November 4, 2010).

Sociology Degrees Awarded by Race/Ethnicity, 1995 - 2009 Percentage of Master’s Degrees Awarded

Slide 12

4.1% 3.9% 3.2% 4.4% 5.2% 4.5% 4.3% 4.2%

12.8% 14.1% 16.9%

14.6% 14.8% 12.7% 12.6%

4.7% 3.9% 5.4% 7.2% 6.8% 8.0% 6.7% 8.8%

65.1% 64.5% 61.6% 60.4% 59.2%

57.5% 58.2% 55.9%

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Asian or Pacific IslanderBlack, Non-HispanicHispanicWhite, Non-Hispanic

12 Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Completions,1966-2009 (Washington, DC: NCES, 2010). Retrieved from https://webcaspar.nsf.gov (November 4, 2010).

Sociology Degrees Awarded by Race/Ethnicity, 1995 - 2009 Percentage of Doctoral Degrees Awarded

Slide 13

6.1%

4.8% 4.6%

7.6% 4.7%

8.1% 8.5% 7.4% 8.4% 7.9%

2.3% 4.0%

6.2%

6.1% 6.9%

4.6%

58.7% 61.7% 62.3% 62.2%

62.4%

54.4% 56.9%

52.0% 53.8%

-0.03

0.07

0.17

0.27

0.37

0.47

0.57

1995 1996 1997 1998 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Asian or Pacific Islander

Black, Non-Hispanic

Hispanic

White, Non-Hispanic

What Do We Do? Sociologists in the Work Force

The Future of Sociology: Minorities, Programs, and Jobs Slide 14

14

Assistant and Open Rank Faculty Positions Advertised Through the American

Sociological Association, 2008 – 2011*

Source: ASA Job Bank Survey, 2008 - 2011

* Excludes foreign positions and departments. Slide 8

499

378 324

258

427 338

503 405

Total Positions Advertised Total Advertising Departments

2008200920102011

15

More Sociology Bachelor’s Recipients are in the Labor Market:

Future Plans as Reported in 2005 versus 2007

Slide 15 Source: ASA Research and Development Department, What Can I Do With a Bachelor’s in Sociology? A National Survey of Seniors Majoring in Sociology Wave II, 2007

16

Occupation Example %

Social Services, Counselors, Psychologists Oversee AIDS outreach team 26.5

Administrative Support Scheduler for a state representative 15.8

Management Handle employment and labor relations 14.4

Marketing Planning and developing marketing strategies 10.1

Services Crime scene technician 8.3

Teachers, librarians Provide reference, research, and database searching 8.1

Social Science, Researchers Research climate change policies 5.7

Other professionals Website design 6.8

Other N/A 4.4

Types of Occupations of Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Recipients (2007)

Source: ASA Research and Development Department, What Can I Do With a Bachelor’s in Sociology? A National Survey of Seniors Majoring in Sociology Wave II, 2007 Slide 16

17

What Do They Study in Graduate School?

(in percents)

Professional Degree Fields 34.8

Social work/human services 18.3

Law, pre-law, or legal studies 8.4

Health professional and related sciences 8.1

Sociology 13.0

Other Degree Fields 24.6

Education 6.4

Psychology 5.0

Business 3.1

Criminology 2.7

Library Science 1.9

Political Science 1.6

Visual and performing arts 1.6

Languages, linguistics, literature, and letters 1.5

Area and Ethnic Studies 0.4

Urban and religious services 0.4

Other/Joint Programs 27.6

TOTAL 100.0

Source: ASA Research and Development Department, What Can I Do With a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology? Wave III Slide 17

18

Types of Job Activities Differ Between Terminal Master’s Graduates and Current

Students

(in percents)

Primary work activities Terminal Master’s Graduate

Current Terminal Master’s Student

Total

Accounting and finance 3.5 2.7 3.2

Applied or basic research 30.4 12.8 20.2

Computer programming 4.1 7.2 5.3

Employee relations 4.7 0.0 2.8

Managing or supervising 3.5 12.6 7.1

Professional services 6.4 12.6 8.9

Sales and marketing 10.5 9.0 9.9

Teaching 15.8 14.4 15.2

Working with diverse groups 9.4 5.4 7.8

Other 11.7 16.2 13.5

TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0

(N) 171 111 282

Source: ASA Research and Development Department, What Can I Do With a Master’s in Sociology? Wave III. Slide 18

19

Master’s Degrees Improve Job Conditions

(percentage of terminal master’s graduates)

Source: ASA Research and Development Department, What Can I Do With a Master’s in Sociology? Wave III. Slide 19

20

Comparison of Specializations Listed in All Assistant and Open Rank Job Bank

Advertisements in 2010 to Areas of Interest Selected by PhD Candidates on ASA Membership

Forms in 2010

Specialization

Advertised Specialties

(N=427)

Areas of Student Interest in 2010

(N=4,511)

Difference in % of Specialties Compared to

Interest *

% Rank % Rank %

Sociology of Culture 8.4 14 24.3 3 - 15.8

Inequalities and Stratification 19.7 6 34.7 1 - 15.0

Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance 30.9 1 17.9 7 + 13.0

Politics and Social Change 23.0 2 33.9 2 - 10.9

Place and Environment 23.0 3 13.7 10 + 9.3

Gender and Sexuality 10.3 13 19.6 5 - 9.3

Sources: ASA Job Bank and Membership databases.

* A minus sign indicates an oversupply of graduate students. A plus sign indicates an undersupply. Slide 21

Job Satisfaction

The Future of Sociology: Minorities, Programs, and Jobs Slide 22

22

Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Recipients’ Pathways to Job Satisfaction

Race

Educated Parents Type of

School

Skills

Resume

Interview

Closeness to

Sociology Job

Satisfaction

On-the-Job Activities

Source: ASA Research and Development Department, What Can I Do With a Bachelor’s in Sociology? A National Survey of Seniors Majoring in Sociology Wave II, 2007 Slide 23

23

Factors Related to Job Satisfaction for Master’s Graduates*

Source: ASA Research and Development Department, What Can I Do With a Master’s in Sociology? Wave III.

* Based on a regression model. Black text indicates variables in the model that are not significant at the 0.05 level. Slide 24

24

PhD Job and Family Satisfaction, 2006

(in percents)

Source: ASA Research and Development Department, PhD+10: A Follow-Up Survey on Career and Family Transitions Out of the Academic Sector, 2007. Slide 25

Intellectual Activities

The Future of Sociology: Minorities, Programs, and Jobs Slide 26

26

Total ASA Membership by Race/Ethnicity in 2001 and 2010*

(in percents)

Racial and Ethnic Categories 2001 2010

African American 4.9 6.0

Asian or Pacific Islander 5.1 5.4

Hispanic 3.4 4.3

White 68.3 64.0

Did Not Report Race/Ethnicity 15.1 17.2

TOTAL 100.0 100.0

(N) 12,365 13,708

Source: ASA Membership Database

*Excludes Native American and Other categories. Slide 28

27

Top 10 Sections in 2010, by Membership Status

(rank and percent of group)

Source: ASA Membership Database Slide 29

African Americans in the Sociology Pipeline

The Future of Sociology: Minorities, Programs, and Jobs Slide 30

29

The Survival of African Americans in the Sociology “Career Pipeline”

(estimated number of students/faculty)

3,900

2,480

1,150

270

40 30 20

Enrolled in graduate school

Enrolled in graduate sociology programs

Awarded Sociology M.A.’s

Awarded sociology PhDs

Become assistant professors

Become full professors

In the sociology baccalaureate pool

Slide 31 Source: ASA Department of Research and Development, Race and Ethnicity in the Sociology Pipeline, 2007

Points to Remember The majority of undergraduate majors do not go on to graduate school in sociology. We must do a better job of counseling them, because they are the bread and butter of the discipline. The market is improving for new PhDs, but sociology would have a lower unemployment rate if they were trained non-academic jobs. It looks as if cultural studies is the intellectual future of the discipline replacing family and theory, although criminal justice is where jobs are. There are small increases in minorities in the sociology pipeline, but they appear to get stuck on the way to the top. MFP helps.

The Future of Sociology: Minorities, Programs, and Jobs Slide 33

Visit the ASA Research Department on the web.

http://www.asanet.org/research/index.cfm

The Future of Sociology: Minorities, Programs, and Jobs Slide 34