Studying Sociology at Johannes Gutenberg University is a multifaceted program, as Sociology is a subject that is pluralistic in terms of theory and methods. Its inner diversity makes the program of study in Sociology exciting, but also renews the students’ constant change of perspective. The Institute of Sociology has collected some opinions from students to give those interested an immediate overview of the program of study at Mainz University.
Norina Kasik, MA
“Sociology, in its versatility, touches on everything that we encounter as individuals in society on a daily basis. It provides us with insights that help us understand and explain social interaction. The great advantage of this social science is that it can open the door to a wide range of professional fields. And even better: it gives you the choice of which career direction to take until you complete your program of study. It was the same for me. I only ever knew one thing: I wanted to work in staff. Today, I have been working successfully for many years as a project manager in a personnel consultancy in Frankfurt/Main. The following skills are essential for this appointment: working with a wide variety of personalities, understanding professional and private problems and knowledge of organizational processes and structures. In my role, I am responsible for recruiting subjects and managers in various industries and look for the” perfect match “for our clients every day. Being able to assess this is the be-all and end-all. Sociology has paved the way for me and enabled me to think creatively, look closely and form my own picture of things in the world.”
Marian Ristow,
Editorial manager for two local editions of the Rhein-Zeitung
“Of course, my minor has a little more influence on my daily work, but Sociology has added a RAM module to my working memory, so to speak, and has already changed my perception of social processes quite a bit. I keep thinking about certain set pieces from Sociology. One example: I’m on Twitter a lot and I often think of Mead and what he said in relation to identity, imitation and self-affirmation through communication. Another example: If you try to report on a lateral thinking demo in a completely value-free way, you first understand what is meant by double contingency and the uncertainty that comes with it in situations of communication.”
Marion Schwehr
“I chose the degree program “Sociology: Research Practice and Practical Research” at JGU in 2017 because I was particularly attracted by the practical relevance (of research) and the broad range of specializations. The program of study enabled me to learn the empirical basics that I use every day as a research assistant. I particularly liked the fact that we were given the opportunity to put our theoretical skills and knowledge into practice in a teaching research project. I also found the atmosphere on campus and the proximity to the lecturers, who support the students in everything, very enriching.”
Kevin Wülcknitz,
Academic staff member, Federal Statistical Office
“I am grateful for the methodologically and scientifically oriented training that the Research master’s degree program in Sociology at JGU offered me. The focus of the MA “Research Practice and Practical Research” not only enables me to participate in scientific discussions, the degree program also encourages me to contribute with my own approaches and research ideas. The experience, competencies and soft skills I gained in my program of study not only helped me to develop personally, but also prepared me for my appointment in official Statistics. In addition to scientific discussion and data preparation, the presentation and communication in the form of press releases is also relevant here, so I am happy to draw on the experience of preparing complex issues as part of the tutorial.”
Alina Roth, MA
“My master’s degree in Sociology: Research Practice and Practical Research at JGU gave me the opportunity to deepen my sociological knowledge and set my own methodological priorities. I particularly enjoyed working on a research project. Together in a group, we worked through all the steps of quantitative research, from developing the research question and searching for suitable data sources to evaluating and presenting the results, and we could always rely on very good and comprehensive supervision from our lecturers. In the process, I also gained valuable knowledge in the evaluation and processing of large data sets in relation to my current position in the field of statistics production. The limited number of students also made it possible to work together on a personal and collaborative level, which led to many good friendships.”
