what is the difference between sociology and social work?
If take sociology as a major/career how different is it from social work?
they are not the same so please dont tell me they are , what would be the difference then ? what would i do as a sociologist , and what would i do as a social worker?
They are completely different.
Sociology is the theory of society. You learn about different types of societies and theories about how societies work. (Like Marxism and Feminism etc). You also learn about how things like culture, religion, education, race/ethnicity, crime/deviance, gender, youth etc relate to society.
A bit more advanced (like if you do a degree), you learn about things like Positivism (a theory of social change). You may also things that tie in with the media or criminology (like learning about social justice).
Social work, is much more specific. Its a type of work not strictly just a subject of study as sociology is. Social work is active. You work with people or families with problems, helping to re-intergrate into a normal society. Like people with addictions or abusive families.
If you took social work as a degree, it’ll be very specific but at the end you would only really have a qualification to be a social worker. If you did sociology, you would have a very broad degree but you may have to do a post-graduate year if you wanted to do something more specific like social work or teaching but your options are a lot more open.
A Sociologist is usually involved in research, education or creates programs, and develops policy. Sociology studies social change, social groups, and their patterns of behavior. They then examine these behaviors considering such differences as race or gender. Sociology is more group oriented. It could be a small group like a family or a large group like a mob. A Social Worker deals more with one individual at a time. They may be therapists or head programs for elderly or mentally ill. A degree in Social Work is more commonly requested when looking for jobs in the human services field. But, often employers view these different degrees the same. Probably, because the required course material is SOME what the same, they both study behavior and they both require a genuine interest in people and society. Depending on what you want to do, a degree in Social Work is probably more desirable.
As defined, Sociology is the study of society while Social Work is a professional and academic discipline committed to the pursuit of social change. Social work is more of the act of dealing with other people, regardless of their race, sex and age. On the other hand, Sociology is the study of the society as well as the social behavior of people. These two have different meanings yet they are interrelated with each other.