The Vast Majority of Sociology is Useless.

Reminder I am limited from making rebuttals to pro's case until next round. Arguments My case shall seek to prove uses of the science in question. Argument 1: Quality of Life Contention 1: Urge to Relocate Hate to start with the Trump card, but given that as many as 28% of American's would consider leaving the US if Trump is elected [1], that even people in the first world get caught in political upheaval is a fact of life. There are a thousand other reasons to leave one country for another, but this one has current top of mind awareness. Contention 2: Sociological Comparisons Sociology makes researching where to live (or visit) far easier. Just take a look at the Better Life Index [2], you can enter your preferences, and countries which most closely match what you're looking for rise up on the scale. Conclusion: Sociology can help people (with truly minimal research) avoid moving to locations unsuited to their needs (as they define them). Argument 2: Relations Contention 1: We Deal with Foreigners Us even having this debate, should make it fairly self-evident. However, trade continuously happens across national and continental borders [3], allowing us to enjoy coffee beans from Columbia, Chocolate from Switzerland, etc. For us it's luxuries, for others its survival [4]. Contention 2: Different Countries Have Different Values I assume this to also be self-evident, but to compare the averages of a couple countries, I shall use the United States and Hungary (the host countries of the debaters) on a Hofstede Chart. Even without understanding the precise meanings applied, the differences and similarities should be clear. The Indulgence score for example, tells us that people in Hungary [5] are (on average) more restrained than people in the United States [6]. "[Those] with a low score in this dimension have a tendency to cynicism and pessimism" [5], whereas a high score "contradictory attitudes and behaviour" such as the "work hard and play hard" mentality [6]. Contention 3: Taboos When dealing with people from other cultures it is important to know what behaviors are taboo to their group. Social awkwardness can outright ruin trade deals [7], but in some cases saying the wrong thing (or even the right thing in the wrong way) can get someone killed [8]. Conclusion: It's useful in understanding differences, thus to avoiding problems. Argument 3: Advertising Contention 1: Jobs Sociology might not outright create jobs, but it gives people the tools to better excel at them. "[A sociologist's] ability to research and predict certain behaviors of groups based on age, race, and social background is pure gold to advertising firms," in addition to various other roles, such as assisting in city planning [9]. Contention 2: Entertainment Advertisers study social trends to design the best appeals to the masses (which include us) [10]. Given the increasing popularity of Super Bowl ads over the game itself, this has been highly effective [11]. Conclusion: Sociology is useful (at the very least to anyone who watches TV for entertainment). Sources [1] http://thehill.com... [2] http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org...# [3] http://www.trademap.org... [4] https://www.globalcitizen.org... [5] https://geert-hofstede.com... [6] https://geert-hofstede.com... [7] http://www.globoforce.com... [8] http://www.cnn.com... [9] http://www.insidejobs.com... [10] https://wheatoncollege.edu... [11] http://www.huffingtonpost.com...