What to do

[jermjam]

I've never used this site before, so I apologize in advance if this isn't the right forum for my question(s).

 

I'm a Math/Econ undergrad at a flagship East Coast state school, but I think my interests might be more in line with sociology. I picked up the math major because I knew I wanted to earn a PhD in Economics, and half of me still thinks that's what I want to do. I have solid undergraduate research experience in Econ, no structured Sociology background. That said, I've taken a few classes that discuss sociological theory (mostly from an historical perspective) that seem, to me, to be way more like what I'd like to study than pure economics. I've read some Bourdieu, and I'm a big JK Galbraith fan; from what I've read they fall into the category of Economic Sociology, which is a subfield of Sociology, and not Economics. The power structure analysis is really what reels me in, and really what I think I'd like to study at the next level. I'm not certain I fully understand what sociologists do well enough to say for certain though. My plan, for now, is to try to earn an MS in Statistics because my research background is more theoretical (econ) than empirical, and I think I'd have a better shot at getting funding in a Stat MS than in anything Sociology related. Does that make sense? I plan on taking a few sociology courses during my undergrad, but my experience with Econ tells me that there is a huge disconnect between what is done at the undergraduate level vs PhD. I'm basically just trying to figure out what options are most closely related to my interests.

 

Again, I apologize if there is a better place to ask these questions.

[letstalkshop]

I majored in econ in undergrad (well, technically an interdisciplinary major in econ and poli sci), and now I'm entering a sociology PhD program. I realized fairly late in undergrad that I was interested in sociology, and skipped straight to some upper level sociology courses that interested me. Don't feel the need to take introductory courses in order to understand the basics. If you really want to see what's taught in these introductory courses, buy a used sociology textbook online and read it (this, honestly, won't take long since they're so basic). If you really want to know what sociologists DO, read some journal articles by sociologists on topics that interest you. 

 

If you're interested in understanding power structures in the context of economics and economic activity, it certainly sounds like sociology could be a better field for you, provided that you know you actually want to go into academia. An MS in stats could probably help you get into a strong sociology program, and if you think you can get funding for a masters, go for it. But if you can't get funding, it's up to you to decide whether or not this is worth it. Depending on your background, you might be able to get into a strong sociology PhD program without a prior masters, and then you can get paid to take stats classes. Having majored in something other than sociology will not be held against you. 

[jermjam]

Thanks! Do you have any recommendations in terms of good introductory texts and contemporary papers in economic sociology?

[theoryoftheories]

A lot of people will disagree with me but I suggest starting with (one of) the foundational text(s): Talcott Parsons' The Structure of Social Action.