Oh, sociology … What do you plan on doing with that degree?
It’s a question that plagues every student in the social sciences and humanities. Why not study something like engineering or computer science, both of which are in high demand for the job market? It’s an exhausting question to be asked at every family gathering, as if the value of such a degree isn’t self-evident. Unbeknownst to many who ask it, this simple question is embedded in our society’s culture from capitalist — and, by extension, colonially constructed — norms.
Questioning someone’s chosen field of study carries intriguing implications. To start, it implies that education is only useful to get a job after school. While it is true that education can be crucial for finding employment, this implication ignores the personally enriching and fulfilling experience that a degree can provide.
Additionally, this obsession over employability is heavily shaped by a capitalist worldview that has been internalized by those without a social science or humanities background. In other words, the inquirer of the “What are you going to do with that?” question is concerned with how someone else’s education might benefit capitalist corporate America, a space that actively places profit above all else. Individual worth is only given based on a worker’s employability and profit potential, sometimes even to the detriment of their own workers, indigenous communities, the planet and much more.
One could argue that the inquirer is more concerned with the well-being of the student than the well-being of corporate spaces. If that were the case, the inquirer would feel satisfied when learning that the student feels personally fulfilled by their humanities or social science field of study. After all, happiness is much more than just a job or a check.
One might also ask, “What is so wrong with capitalism?” The answer to this question ultimately comes down to the origin of this economic ideology. Many scholars agree that capitalist ideas were heavily exacerbated, globalized and expanded through colonialism — the practice of politically dominating other civilizations to exploit their resources or carry out ideological, racial and cultural expansion. This is easily discernible when examining the motives of European powers in the Americas. For example, the British settlers frequently sought raw materials for economic growth, such as lumber, while simultaneously carrying out a genocide on the local Native American populations to achieve this end.
It would not be far-fetched to conclude that the British introduced a capitalist ideology during their colonial endeavors in the Americas, when raw materials played a significant role in their motives for expanding their empire. Additionally, it would also not be unreasonable to declare that colonial histories were violent, inhumane, tragic and not to be repeated in the future.
So the main question is: Why are we, as a society, so concerned with the well-being of today’s capitalistic structures, which have shameful origins and continue to plague society with issues to this day? Why do we idolize the well-being of corporate America to the point where we treat humanities and social science students with social disapproval?
Such a cultural norm is also the reason why the social sciences and humanities are often underfunded at universities. At their core, these disciplines seek to question, to understand and to critically examine the world around us, often from the individual perspective and through diverse lenses. As a result, these disciplines frequently challenge the validity of societal structures, such as this very capitalistic structure discussed. Altering the status quo is not favorable to those who benefit from it, which means these disciplines are kept underfunded, lacking the resources to grow and truly develop momentum.
Essentially to some, the humanities are seen as uninvited, persistently annoying and a menace to the organized goal of productivity, like weeds in a white picket fenced lawn.
Although education is just one example, everything in our world is colonized. Colonialism is not a single historical event that has ended, but rather an ongoing phenomenon still shaping our societies. It has rebranded itself as other ideologies, such as American imperialism and neoliberalism. The next time you see a T-shirt labeled as being made in another country, give a thought to how global relationships with other nations would not have been possible without colonial and imperial histories.
This analysis is not to dissuade people from choosing to study STEM or business disciplines. By all means, if someone is fascinated by the scientific workings of space shuttles or weather patterns, study them! Everyone should choose a discipline that they are interested in. However, what should be dissuaded is the social disapproval of studying the humanities and social sciences.
Studying these disciplines does not ignore job security. Instead, it is decolonial in nature. It is to seek liberation, an act of resistance.
Alexander Randall is an Opinion Intern for the summer 2025 quarter. He can be reached at arandal1@uci.edu.
Edited by Annabelle Aguirre.