FOR generations, Indian South Africans have placed greater importance on graduates who complete degrees in medicine, law, accounting and the so-called pure sciences than the youth who complete social sciences qualifications.
I have often wondered if the determinant to behave in this manner has purely been ignorance or a dominant public perception that the former capabilities can accrue a better income than those that study various specialisations in the social sciences.
Perhaps the other incentive for medical graduates to be paid kudos is the socially endorsed title, “Dr”.
Society duly respects bachelor graduates of medicine by addressing them as doctors. This title has its origins in the verb “to doctor”.
Within the realm of social sciences, the “Dr” title is endorsed by completing a doctoral degree.
The entry requirement to register for a doctoral degree is the passing of a Master in Arts or Master in Social Science, which is pursued after a bachelor's degree and, in my instance, an honours degree too.
Therefore, the expertise accrued at the postgraduate level within the social sciences are in-depth and of value.
The career opportunities with these degrees are multi-faceted and are central to the development of society. Some of the possible careers include academia, research, economist, politician, anthropologist, and educator at all levels (primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary educational institutions).
It also includes policy writing, specialised communications, unionist, social worker, journalist, administrator, psychologist, criminologist, sociologist, historians, political economist and the so on.
This column serves to highlight the value of these professions and occupations and their collective contribution to and impact on South African society. Without professionals with the above skills in the portfolios mentioned above, our community cannot function or improve.
Some of the critical skills that social science degrees cultivate are the capacity to think critically, question, evaluate and, as a result, problem-solve. This is important as we collectively strive to improve our society in all spheres of politics, economics and social development.
The first step to holistic development is to critically analyse, evaluate and then develop appropriate policies and strategies and place appropriate measures, which can effectively cultivate the required changes that South Africa needs. This impact substantially depends on the social scientists and the varying roles and specialisations.
A well-known scenario that has become all too common is when young adults indicate their school teachers' and lecturers' impact on them and how it shaped their personal goals and career trajectories. In my observations, I have witnessed how individuals that have careers outside of the social sciences struggle to appropriately understand our society's development about current socio-economic pressures and our unjust history.
Degrees that are structured in the “pure sciences”, such as medicine, often do not include modules that allow them to understand and critically analyse the development and transition of cultures in our society, which often fails to give the graduate a holistic understanding of human development. Young graduates often attain this knowledge and awareness through self-study and engagement with people.
Through the completion of postgraduate social science degrees, individuals also develop writing skills which are pertinent to educate a nation. These graduates today are preparing and creating teaching material and content for learners, writing for the media so that the public is fully informed of the current situation, and publishing scholarly research, which documents the study of society and all related challenges.
Through the documentation process, we can only note trends and repetition of people's behaviour globally. This information provides the foundation to determine likely changes in our global economy and social development and assist our governance. For example, economists study how society utilises resources and contribute to the development of economic policy even if its implementation by politicians is questionable.
Similarly, research skills are equally important. Social scientists pursue studies (quantitative and qualitative), which contribute to identifying the challenges, strengths and weaknesses within a society.
The South African National Population Survey is an example of the value of research skills. In addition, the private sector always needs marketing research skills, which help companies determine their competition, price range and clientele before they launch a new product or service. The need for marketing research is always continual as the national economy and the spending capacity of people hugely impact it.
Despite the above-mentioned values, I cannot help but assume that a possible reason people choose not to acknowledge these qualifications appropriately is that a social scientist's role is not understood and showcased adequately. It is often assumed that only low incomes can be accrued through a specialisation in the social sciences.
The opportunities are endless, and many of us engage in multiple portfolios because our skills are so applicable and important to more than one sector of the economy. The knowledge economy has always benefited from social science skills, which is even more important in the era of 4IR.
It is common for an academic to be engaged in numerous commissioned research projects for various institutions parallel to being employed as a lecturer and an author. This is only one example of how we are skilled enough to wear more than one cap.
Parents of school leavers should encourage our youth to think beyond fitting into a traditional perception of what a career should be. The social sciences have so much value to offer.
Bhoola has a PhD and two Master’s degrees in the social sciences. She is a lecturer, researcher and a freelance writer. Bhoola has been the recipient of awards and academic scholarships throughout her career. Visit www. sheetalbhoola.com.