I had the pleasure of virtually 'meeting' some of my new students today in advance of the next academic year and first semester. We had a virtual Q&A where I was visible on video link and they could pop in with just their audio feed and ask questions about the course, the subject, and anything else they were curious or concerned about.
I doubly appreciated this opportunity to meet and engage with students.
Firstly, it was great to get stuck in to some familiar issues such as 'What do I need to do to prepare for September?' and it was good for students to be able to see and hear from their prospective lecturer. In contrast to the previous week of online staff training where I could relax and wear a t-shirt and jeans, I wore a suit and shirt to present myself on video to my future cohort. It felt good to have a reason to put on my work clothes. Even if, out of camera shot, I was still wearing my comfy slippers. Like a cut-price Peter Cushing playing Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars, I opted for comfort where it wouldn't visually matter too much, but I still felt and looked the part.
Secondly, it was great to do something that felt so positive after months of feeling distant. Teaching, lecturing etc. is as much about working the room and conducting the orchestra of learners live and unrehearsed, as it is about delivering content, setting and marking work, and facilitating learning.
One of the best questions (and there were several) actually came by email after the virtual meeting was over.
"Are there any down sides to A Level Sociology?"
I thought that this was a pretty smart question. Actually asking me to articulate what the negatives might be of the subject and course that I have a strong vested interest in. I am so obviously not neutral or unbiased in the realm of this question. Which is why it was so smart to ask it - my response would provide not just the obvious content but also a gauge of how unbiased and honest I might be when faced with the temptation to sugar-coat.
I thought about my reply for a while before eventually settling on the following:
I guess that the down sides to Sociology are probably that there is no coursework and everything is assessed by handwritten examinations at the end of the course. Other possible downsides are that some aspects of human society and human behaviour are quite shocking and despicable, but we will not shy away from examining them in order to understand them better. The course and subject will challenge many ideas about culture and society and our place and role within both, and this may make people feel less comfortable.
Another down side of Sociology is perhaps that some people do not particularly place any value on the understanding of culture, society, and the place and role of humans within them. Some people even feel that the study of such things is a waste of time, and that nothing of value can emerge from researching and studying these aspects of the world we live in. Some people will react negatively to Sociology based on their negative perception of it, and will argue that only physical sciences are worth our attention and not social sciences. In this respect, Sociology is going through the same process that most other academic subjects (most recently Media Studies, but before that, English; and before that, Physics, Biology, Medicine, etc.) must go through before they become established as having value.
I appreciated the opportunity that this question gave me, to re-examine the discipline and practice of Sociology with a more critical eye than I would usually afford; and to prioritise for a brief moment the kind of negative and unappreciative feedback that some academic subjects enjoy from the more conservative (with a small 'c') and traditionalist sections of society.
What other down sides to the study of Sociology do you think there are?
What are your opinions about the study of Sociology?
Do you know, or not know, what Sociology is? Or is useful for?
How would you have dealt with this question, if you were asked it about the thing that you do, instead of about Sociology?