Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1997 13:22:40 -0500 (CDT)
Message-Id: <199706231822.NAA21263@plains.NoDak.edu>
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To: socgrad@csf.colorado.edu,
        Sociology Graduate Students -- International <socgrad@csf.colorado.edu>
From: kharmel@plains.NoDak.edu (Kaye Dawn Boeke)
Subject: Re: Areas of interest/prestige

>	Could we add questions here:  DOES the public have *any* perception of
sociology as a field of study?  If so, what is it?  If not, >why not?
>	I am thinking not only of 1) the general public which, when you >are
introduced as a sociologist, may have no comment at all but also of >2)the
media which may turn to political scientists, psychologists, or
>others in their efforts to understand news events.


        My thoughts on this are that the term "sociologist" sounds
prestigious/fancy/knowledgeable to the general public, but there is no real
understanding of what sociology is, or what a sociologist does (other than
teach at a university).  
        In my experience, when I tell people (family, high school
classmates, etc.) that I am a sociology graduate student, I am asked if I
will be doing social work when I graduate!  The other occupation that comes
out is psychologist (assuming clinical psychology or something applied like
that...)  
        Do other people run into this?

kaye boeke
kharmel@plains.nodak.edu