Universities and Academic Fields
Universities exist to teach and conduct research in a variety of academic fields. Students must make decisions based on their personal and professional objectives. As a result, understanding the many fields of study is critical for career selection and personal development. Sociology and economics are two of the most frequent disciplines. Understanding the components that distinguish them might help students make better career decisions.
The Study of Sociology
Understanding human experience is enhanced by studying sociology. Certainly, social science allows investigators to dive into the specifics of how individuals, groups, and communities act, think, and feel (Mannheim 7). To reach the essential conclusions, the patterns are detected and examined. They can also make decisions based on the information obtained from the research. The term sociology was first utilized in the 1830s by Frenchman Augusta Compte. They desired to come up with a discipline that could unite all the knowledge related to human experience. Today, the term is utilized to refer to all the social sciences.
Origins of Sociology
Notably, sociology originates from the quest to link social surroundings and human thought or activities. The social sciences were developed after the scholars realized that they needed to respond to the social changes. For instance, in the 16th and 17th century, the Europeans explored the world and came up with different stories about other communities (Mannheim 12). It was discovered that the notion that European community reflected god's nature was wrong. Further, the scientific discoveries of the 18th and 19th century changed the manner in which individuals understood the social issues of the day. The aspects of the industrial revolution, capitalism in the European nations, and rapid population growth have also challenged the society to think differently about the commonly accepted explanations of the human experience. Given this, sociology is birthed out of the desire to understand how the society has been transformed over the years.
The Establishment of Sociology as an Academic Field
Sociology is one of the subjects that were taught at the University of Kansas in 1890 by Frank Blackmar. It has since been taught by other professionals in the United States and beyond. In 1892, Albion W. Small established the department of sociology (Mannheim 9). He was accredited for coming up with the American journal of sociology. In 1896, Emile Durkheim founded the first department of sociology in Europe. The discipline has various subfields that study different aspects namely architecture, the body, Jewry, knowledge, language, digital elements, disaster, punishment, relationships. They also include cognition, computers, culture, emotions, leisure, peace, war, conflict, race, ethnicity, family, film, feminists, education, mathematics, gender, health, urban centers, technology, immigration, and politics.
Research Methods in Sociology
To obtain the required knowledge in the field, sociologists use various research methods including social surveys, experiments, interviews, and observation among others. Among these, studies are commonly used in the area because the professionals can find information from large groups of people (Mannheim 125). The questions are typically written in advance and have few questions that help a researcher to get data on simple topics. The participants have the option of writing down their responses and submitting them to the professionals or engage in an interview and hence offer their answers in an unstructured manner.
Current Topics in Sociology
Currently, there are various hot topics that many experts in the field are focusing on through research. One of them is the aspect of aging in developing countries. Studies show that there are more individuals over the age of 55 than under the age of 18(Mannheim 187). The professionals in the field have been focusing on how this reality will impact the society. They also consider how the aged need to be offered the assistance that they need so that they can function independently. Another issue that is under keen focus is the support provided to individuals who want to exercise the right to die. Specifically, the controversies that surround voluntary euthanasia have informed the decision of sociologists to explore the topic further. More so, the professionals have been focusing on the aspect of immigration in the modern era. Besides the fact that many people have been seeking for jobs in other countries, the existence of war has created the need for immigration. Understanding how such a reality will affect the society is critical. Other topics include bullying, the absence of parental love, terrorism, homosexuality, and health impacts of electromagnetic waves.
Journals and Associations in Sociology
One of the remarkable journals in sociology is the American Journal of Sociology. It was developed in 1895 by Albion Small (American Journal of Sociology). It publishes works by various authors on the theory, practice, methods, and history of the discipline. Notably, different associations are committed to advance the issues that relate to sociology. One of them is the American Sociological Association, which holds conferences every year to discuss various aspects related to the discipline (Mannheim 29). It is a non-profitable organization.
The Study of Economics
Economics
The Origins of Economic Thought
Economics is defined as the study of how the scarce resources can be used well. Specially, the professionals in the field help organizations and governments to make good decisions when using the resources at their disposal (Brue and Randy 3). The desirable end is compared with the scarce means, and thus, alternative uses of resources are proposed. Various topics such as finance, wealth, and banking are studied in depth to help the scholars to come to relevant conclusions and to make predictions.
The Evolution of Economic Thought
The economic thought is traced back to the ideas advanced by various thinkers and theories in the society. The subject was initially referred to as political economy. It later evolved into modern day economics (Brue and Randy 10). The philosophers in the ancient Greeks such as Aristotle made contributions of how the society could share the wealth in a desirable manner. They were also debating as to whether it is wise to leave property into the hands of the state or give it to the private owners. During the middle ages, scholars focused on the morality of allowing traders to fix the selling price. The western nations viewed the subject as a part of philosophy. The perspective would later change during the 19th century after the industrial revolution. The question of the economic growth in the states created a need to explain different dynamics. Various writers offered their ideas on the subject, which in turn ushered in an era where the discipline was studied separately.
Famous Economic Thinkers
Some of the famous founders of the economic thought are Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Keynes. Adam Smith is regarded to as the father of economics because he was able to study some of the ideas proposed by other writers and thus coming up with a better explanation of how economies ought to function (Brue and Randy 36). He suggested that the government should not interfere with the economy. Instead, competition would be sufficient to regulate the markets. Most of the other economic thinkers utilize this as the basis for their ideas. Karl Marx was one of such writers, who proposed that the most important aspect of an economy is the means of production. He, therefore, indicated that an ideal way of creating a functioning economy was to create policies that would deal with capitalism. John Keynes reacted to this by suggesting that capitalism would justify the existence of government.
Research Methods in Economics
One of the methods used in economic research are the experiments. It allows the professionals to measure the cause and effect elements in a given phenomena. The main aim of conducting them is to establish the relationship and hence make a reliable conclusion. It starts by creating a hypothesis and the variables that must be tested. It is worth noting that the discipline is subdivided into macro and microeconomics. Microeconomics focuses on various topics such as markets, public sector production, supply and demand, game theory, the firm, and cost. In macroeconomics, the scholars focus on monetary policy, business cycle, growth, inflation, unemployment and fiscal policy and international relations.
Current Topics in Economics
Various topics are currently sparking major debates in the economic field. One of them is raising taxes to create an equitable society. After realizing that a few people have enormous wealth in the advanced nations, the professionals in the field have proposed that taxes should be raised on the wealthy (Brue and Randy 134). The same aspect is intended for the major corporations that make a lot of wealth and make fewer contributions to the society. Further, the activities of multi-national corporations are being monitored because of the realization that the laborers are exploited in some particular parts of the world. Still, the benefits of labor unions to an economy have been discussed. Moreover, the policies that the governments around the world make to ensure that peace and stability reigns have taken center stage (Brue and Randy 134). Other topics include the rise of China, pension payments, farm subsidies and offshore banking.
Journals and Associations in Economics
One of the journals in economics is known as Journal of International Economics. It was established to offer the researchers in the area of international economics a platform to share their findings with the professionals in the field (Elsevier). They can cover various topics including trade, exchange rates, open economy and commercial policy. The scholars also have a chance to make contributions to different associations such as the International Economic Association. It was founded in 1950 with the aim enhance personal contacts and cooperation amongst the economists (International Economics Association). It achieves this by organizing for meetings and programs. It also publishes information on matters that may affect the relationships between the relevant bodies.
Conclusion
Indeed, students can make better choices in their career if they understand the elements that define sociology and economics. Sociology is designed to disclose information about human experiences such as voluntary euthanasia and immigration. Research methods such as a survey can be used in the process. Studying economics, on the other hand, allows the learners to understand how scarce resources can be used to get a desirable end. The works of scholars such as Adam Smith and Karl Marx can be helpful in such a process.
Works Cited
American Journal of Sociology. About AJS. Accessed from http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/journals/ajs/about on 16th June 2017
Brue, Stanley and Grant Randy. The Evolution of Economic Thought. London: Cengage Learning, 2012.
Elsevier. Journal of International Economics, 2017. Accessed from https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-international-economics/ on 16th June 2017.
International Economics Association. About IEA, 2017. Accessed from http://www.iea-world.org/general-information/ on 16th June 2017.
Mannheim, Karl. Essays Sociology Knowledge. London: Routledge, 2013.
