Sociology Personal Statement

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Sociology is a subject that will always be around us, will always be relevant and I love being able to understand it. I strive to further this knowledge and to have a much more in-depth understanding of the diverse and fast-changing society we live in. By studying Sociology at Degree level this would be enabled. It is a subject I know I would be more than happy to dedicate all of my time to. Furthermore, studying sociology would open up a variety of career opportunities for me. My interest initially sparked from the start of learning theories, seeing all these conflicting ideologies, questioning the way we live our lives and why we are so heavily dictated and influenced by society. This sparked something inside of me, something that wanted to know more. Whilst I have enjoyed all parts of A-level Sociology, the areas that interested me the most are Religion and Class and how these can be used by those more powerful to serve the interests of only themselves or how it is a necessary institution of society to maintain stability and solidarity. I know that Sociology is something I want to pursue in the future as I truly believe it is what I want to use for the rest of my life as it will give me a range of skills beneficial for all areas of work I am interested in. I want to be able to help those who are unable to help themselves and Sociology will present me with the comprehension needed to identify how to help others.

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

By taking A-level Psychology my comprehension of society's structure has been extended. For example, Zimbardo's study into social roles showed how and what impacts people's conformity and to some degree shows how institutions impact and explains the functioning of human society. Further to this, my understanding of the fundamental laws and social relations is expanded upon by my studies in A-level Government and Politics and has also helped with analysing some fundamental critical theories such as Marxism which is also studied within Sociology. As well as this it allows me to have a better understanding of the way in which the world works on a global and national scale. Sociology is a subject which I am dedicated to and enjoy all parts of enabling me to fully indulge in the content and reach my full capability. I am a hard worker, passionate for the subject and will only accept doing my best. Also, I have a proactive mindset that is always able to understand both sides of debates and find it easy to elaborate on arguments, thus demonstrating my suitability for the course.

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

During secondary school I held many positions of responsibility the most prominent of these was being made a prefect in year 11. As well as this, in college I was the student representative for Psychology which I enjoyed as I was able to represent the views and opinions of my peers during meetings and giving everyone a voice is something I believe to be necessary and will fight for. Voluntary work I have partaken in includes being a young leader for scout and cubs which helped me to become a more confident person with leadership characteristics. Secondly, I took part in NCS which enabled me to increase my independence, whilst helping others by spending two weeks during the NCS period dedicating my time to my local community and helping raise money for local charities.