Charlotte

Charlotte graduated from the MSc Social Research in 2015 and went on to undertake a PhD with the Department of Sociology. She was awarded the position of Graduate Teaching Assistant and teaches on several of our Undergraduate modules.

Why did you choose to study Sociology at the University of Leicester?

I chose this course specifically because it developed my research skills. Indeed this was the only Masters course of its kind provided locally, so Leicester was the only university which met my needs.

How has studying Sociology influenced your career choice?

As I was already teaching Sociology prior to coming to Leicester, it did not really influence my desire to teach the subject, as this was a choice I had already made. What it did do, however, was to give me opportunities to broaden my horizons by teaching at a higher level, as well as being able to embed my teaching with experience of research.

How has Sociology shaped your view of everyday life?

It has helped me to understand the relative nature of all our experiences and, also to appreciate that choices people make are often framed by their experiences in life. I feel that this helps me to make fairer judgements, when dealing with both individuals and groups. I always try to look beyond a person’s actions, considering their environment and context, as well as psychological and physiological factors.

What advice would you give to anyone considering studying Sociology?

If you enjoy people watching, you will love sociology. The study of human behaviour is fascinating and this discipline covers such a broad range of areas of social life, you cannot help but find a favourite area to capitalise on (or a few!). As a core subject in the social sciences, sociology stretches across into other disciplines, such as criminology and social psychology, meaning that you develop a great cross-section of skills during your studies. In my experience, these skills transfer really well into employment, giving you a wide range of career choices.