One of the things that I love about sociology is that everywhere you look, you find it. Practically every time something happens that involves people, there's sociology, begging to help us analyze the situation.
While I think this is AWESOME, believe it or not you guys, some people find my love of sociology annoying (boyfriend, friends, classmates, people I ride with on the bus). This used to bug me, but it's ok because now I have YOU to talk to about it!
So anyway, a few weekends ago my roommates invited some guys who live in our apartment complex over to play beer-pong. Even though I had school the next morning, I had to partake you guys, because I'm a social scientist and this situation might have needed analyzing!
Ok so, I'm watching these guys play beer pong and no one is really talking so it's extremely awkward. I decide to try and break the awkward ice and try and think of something to say. Finally I come up with, "Who's winning this game?"
OMG you guys, one of the kids turns to me like I have just asked the most stupid question in the history of the WORLD, and says to me with a sneer, "What's your major?"
Now, I hope that you guys can see what he was insinuating with this comment. If it's been awhile since you've been in college, let me remind you of some things. In University, there are 'smart' majors, and 'dumb' majors. Unfortunately, majors like psychology, elementary education, sociology, and a various assortment of other liberal arts type majors are considered 'dumb' majors because people don't view them as challenging or selective.
This kid was insinuating that I must have a 'dumb' major, because I had just asked a dumb question. I almost flipped you guys.
But then, there was sociology, making the situation interesting instead of infuriating.
I began thinking about Blau and Duncan's research on Occupational Prestige, where they came up with an equation to rank occupations by prestige (income x education = prestige). At the top of the list are things like: lawyer, chemist, and medical technician, and at the bottom: bill collector, telephone solicitor, and janitor.
It is obvious that in the sociological organism that is a college campus, students and professors have our own rankings of prestige by major. How do we determine what is prestigious or not? Are we all in consensus on the ranking of these majors? Do we have a special esteem for our own major, thinking it the most difficult or prestigious?
You guys, I began to think all of these things! Obnoxious jerk forgotten, I began to get really excited. The next day I talked to a few of my professors and next semester I'm doing a study of students at my school to try and develop an equation for Major(ial?) Prestige.
It will be a lot of work, but it will be super interesting. So, there you have it guys. Sociology is always there, and always interesting. But SERIOUSLY, I should have killed that guy.
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