Keele UniversityFaculty of HumsSocSci
Sociology
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Dave Barnett, BA (Hons) Music Technology and Sociology, 2010
After graduating with a First Class Honours in Music Technology and Sociology in 2010 I stayed on at Keele to undertake a Masters in Research Methodology in order to enhance my CV. During this time I also gained employment in a managment role at Morrisons supermarket. I have used this experience to land a graduate role in HM Treasury where I will be trained as a chartered accountant on a financial offshoot of the Fast Stream scheme.
The most pronounced skill I gained from taking Sociology would probably be critical engagement; the ability to construct a logical and compelling argument, but ensuring you are sufficiently well informed to defend it from alternative perspectives or acquiesce to more suitable ideas. A lot of the assessment was competency based. So, for example modules that relied on teamwork helped to develop effective communication and organisation skills as well honing my ability to steer / lead a group dynamic.
The final year module Risk and Society gave me some grounding in an important conceptual framework, which has especially helped in my transition into finance. Seeing how the same idea - Risk - is employed in Sociology and Finance respectively is intriguing.
Another area I would identify as useful is engaging, critiquing and observing the merits of theoretical models when they are applied to different settings. This helps to develop an ability to segue between abstract ideas and fixed realities, hopefully honing the ability to note the successes and deficiencies of both, and form new ideas imaginatively but with a strong link to real issues / situations.
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