Social Science Personal Statement

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

I want to study Sociology at a higher, more advanced level. The reason I am so drawn towards this specific course is because it gives people an explanation as to why humans behave/interact in a certain way towards others in society. It is stated that curiosity killed the cat but in this case curiosity has led me to understand that society is unequal when considering race, class, and gender. My perspective has been developed as I now view things in a more sociological way. Studying this subject will enhance my knowledge and I will be enlightened. It is within my interest to learn about how family takes a toll on the outcome of the person, for example, primary socialisation (when a child is socialised the correct norms and values in the first few years of their life) focuses on the upbringing as well as different family types such as cohabiting, extended, gay, and lone parent families, etc.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

Studying Sociology, Media, Religious Education, and Philosophy has helped me to develop debating and my ability to craft an argument, my communication skills, and to look at things from different viewpoints. I also have an interest in Religious Education. The first topic we learnt was about Plato’s cave analogy which taught me that it is vital to look beyond the world I live in, looking past reality and empirical methods. Just like the prisoners are unaware of the realm of forms, I am trapped. Trapped, held back, and imprisoned…my way of breaking free is to unlock and pursue wisdom and knowledge which I am searching for in university. Religious Education also allows me to question the ethical morality of things. Ethics also makes me think about whether meritocracy is ethically correct as the bourgeoisie are considered more important and the proletariat aim to be like the rich and want to achieve socially accepted goals. In addition, Media Studies helped me to take notice of the different stereotypes and how they are portrayed in the media, for example, in our patriarchal society males are seen as more dominant in comparison to women who are submissive. Parsons (a sociologist) claims that our social construct is due to human biological differences.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

I have experienced singing, dancing, and acting which has given me confidence and enables me to talk and communicate effectively to others. The school council has given me a sense of leadership and the experience of taking other people's thoughts into consideration when managing them. I have volunteered at a charity shop, dealing with high needs people and giving back to the parts of the community that need help, such as those with mental illness. The reason I am applying for this course is due to my hopes of becoming a counsellor. The greatest good for the greatest number, stated by philosopher Jeremy Bentham, I believe I am the greatest good due to my impeccable listening skills, hard work, communication skills, and organisation which would make me suitable for this course. Ise jẹ oogun fun osi (Yoruba proverb) means that work is the medicine for poverty. So studying at a higher level going into depth I can achieve wisdom and understanding even though I may be labelled as black and female I still have the ability to achieve highly due to equality being on the rise and belief in meritocracy.