4452 - Sociology Outside the Academy: Non-Academic Career Patterns and Implications for Sociological Training

Session Submission Type: Invited Session

Description

For those pursuing a PhD in sociology, the expected career path has been toward an academic position. Yet this career trajectory is increasingly challenging because of a decreasing number of new faculty positions, a lack of turnover among those who occupy such positions, and a series of larger economic challenges facing higher education generally. While a significant amount of research has been conducted within the discipline on the career paths and prospects of (1) undergraduate sociology majors who may seek work in a variety of professional settings and (2) PhD sociologists who take faculty positions in academic settings, far less attention has been focused on PhD sociologists who have taken non-academic career paths. Indeed, despite the increasingly crowded field of sociology PhDs and, thus, the increasing constraints on graduates’ academic career options, accessible information about non-academic career paths for PhD sociologists remains extremely sparse. This significantly limits knowledge within the discipline regarding viable options and pathways for sociologists interested in work outside the academy, and limits knowledge within the discipline about the professional skills training that could expand the career options for doctoral students in sociology and, by extension, increase the visibility and vibrancy of the discipline beyond the ivory tower. The purpose of this invited session is to facilitate a discussion that will enable better understanding of the experiences and pathways of PhD sociologists working in nonacademic positions. The session will provide data and insights regarding (1) the rationale, choices, and strategies of sociologists navigating careers outside academia, (2) the practices non-academic sociologists use to incorporate insights from the discipline into their professional practice, and (3) more effective ways of training sociologists for work outside academia.

Sub Unit

• Special Session

Session Organizer

• Karen Albright, University of Colorado

Presider

• Karen Albright, University of Colorado

Individual Presentations

• Sociological Application in the Nissan Motor Corporation - Erik Vinkhuyzen, Nissan Research Center - Silicon Valley

• Sociological Insights in Evaluation Research: Forging a Non-Academic Career - Jennifer Jean Esala, University Of New Hampshire

• Navigating a Sociological Identity in a Non-Academic Setting: Pros, Cons, and Pathways - Melissa C. Scardaville, American Institutes for Research