By Peter Kaufman

What happens to you when you study sociology? Do you see the world differently? Do you find yourself  analyzing and interpreting things that you previously took for granted? Do you say things that might have surprised your pre-sociological self? Do people respond to you, or even question you, in ways that they never used to before?  Do you wonder how you could have made it to this point without sociology in your life?

Two years ago I wrote a post titled "I’m a Sociologist Because . . .," in which I made a list of 41 reasons why I consider myself a sociologist. At the beginning of this semester, I shared that post with students in my Senior Seminar in Sociology class as part of a reflective exercise about their sociological journey in college. I then asked them to flip the prompt around and consider how their lives have changed since they began studying sociology. Starting with the phrase, Because I’m a sociologist . . ., the students each wrote 5-10 responses highlighting the ways that sociology has impacted their everyday lives.

When we combined all of the students’ lists, we had long list of responses. We then collectively reviewed the responses and combined the ones that we deemed to be pretty much the same. So what effect does sociology have on students who have spent their undergraduate years studying it? Here’s what a small sample of college seniors had to say:

1. I think deeper when being asked a question
2. I have enjoyed reading more about how society works and the issues that exist
3. I am more compassionate, empathetic, and respectful toward others
4. I have a more open mind, making me more aware of myself and my surroundings
5. I have the constant need to study and analyze my social surroundings
6. I am able to analyze different life situations and develop well thought out assumptions
7. I try to think before I speak
8. I question the societal norms
9. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out the “why” of every situation
10. I apply sociological theories to my everyday life
11. I try to listen to more than just the spoken words
12. I try to let it begin with me
13. I often get lost in thought as I try to be mindful of the biases that shape my perceptions
14. I am mindful of how my behavior may be perceived 
15. I think back to my K-12 education and question all that I was taught to accept as truth
16. I question the power structure in my existence
17. I criticize and question society
18. I do not tolerate racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, heterophobia, xenophobia, etc., and I find it easier to confront someone acting like this
19. I realize that there are endless possibilities
20. I cannot look at something and accept it for what it is
21. I have a stronger desire to make the world a better place, particularly in my community
22. I feel it is a duty to change society 
23. I understand my privilege, and recognize how I have less privilege than others
24. I find the need to change the way that my younger relatives are learning
25. I have the ability to recognize the beauty and potential in the most broken individuals and situations
26. I struggle to understand or accept certain behaviors
27. I understand people and their rationale 
28. I realize that every person has a story and different experiences than myself
29. I find myself thinking about the relationships between people more often
30. I have gained a deeper understanding of my friends and family and our relationships have become stronger
31. I can influence others to think more critically about their surroundings
32. I want others to learn what I have learned from sociology and apply it to their lives
33. I love to help others grow and learn
34. I became closer to those who are just as open-minded as I am, and I became distant with those who are close-minded
35. I can help make others understand to not be so quick to judge others
36. People at work look to me for answers when the deeper social questions arise
37. I find myself enjoying a friendly conversation one second, to giving a speech on the origins and effects of our actions/words the next second
38. I can have long and thought-out conversations with people about problems in today’s society
39. It has become difficult to network with individuals who turn a blind eye to the major issues affecting our society
40. I enjoy the company of other sociologists because they help stimulate my thinking
41. I lost a few associates
42. People find me annoying because I expose things they neglect to see about what’s  going on in society
43. I am the ultimate buzz kill
44. I complain. A LOT. (But it's only because I care)
45. I incorporate thought provoking ideas into my artwork.
46. I tend to choose sociology classes as electives whenever I have the chance
47. I can no longer laugh off offensive and ignorant comments
48. I cannot watch television or movies without analyzing and critiquing them
49. I have to watch shows that show positive portrayals of people of color
50. I don't watch the news  
51. I believe that more Marxist policies should be used in the United States
52. I find pleasure in buying at small stores rather than big department stores
53. I consider myself to be a faux-science major
54. I have a whole range of jobs to choose from in the future due to the broadness of sociology
55. I might end up teaching at one point in my life
56. In the long run, I will regret my choice of study financially, but will be satisfied nonetheless
57. I constantly have to deal with "Your major is easy," "Why don't you study something real?" and "What kind of job are YOU going to get?"
58. I will have a career in which I will make positive change in people’s lives

As with my original list of why I consider myself a sociologist, this list is not in any way meant to be exhaustive. It is not even altogether consistent. As you might have noticed, there are a few minor contradictions to be found on the students’ responses. Overall, however, there are some general sentiments or themes that were expressed somewhat consistently among most students. There is no denying that once students finish an undergraduate course of study in sociology, they come to see the world, and themselves, differently. Although none of these students invoked the typical catchphrase of the sociological imagination, this mindset is certainly what they were alluding to in their responses.  

As someone who regularly teaches the bookend required courses of Introduction to Sociology and Senior Seminar, I find this list to be a pretty accurate representation of what students generally say is the result of studying sociology. I imagine some professors might want to see responses that speak to the learning of skills such as writing, speaking, researching, and applying theories; however, I find it understandable that most students focused on their attitudes, beliefs, and worldviews. But as I’ve said, this list is in no way complete. There is plenty of room for more responses. So what do you think? What effect has studying sociology had on you?

The following students contributed to this post: Jonathan Camacho, Paul Choi, Nearlyse Dandas, Ethan Fogg, Toni A. Lee-Jones, Rich Ruby, Kelsey Ryan, Edyaline Tejeda, Jennifer Varon, Dani White