They devote their time to research and the application of sociological knowledge and skills to solve organizational, community, and family problems. They often work as an integral part of a team. Some sociologists create their own private consulting firms and may work evenings or weekends to accommodate clients or complete a project. Travel may be required to collect data for research projects or to attend professional conferences. Sociology faculty have more flexible work schedules, dividing their time between teaching, research, consulting, and administrative responsibilities.
All sociologists engage in analyzing ideas and data on how society works.
Mental efforts can be tiring and stressful. Employment Outside of academia, where most sociologists are employed, sociologists held several thousand jobs in 1992. Some of these jobs were with government agencies, which employ sociologists to deal with such subjects as poverty, crime, public assistance, population growth, education, social rehabilitation, community development, mental health, racial and ethnic relations, drug abuse, school droputs, and environmental impact studies. The also may work in special government agencies such as the Peace Corps, National Institute of Health, and the National Institute of Aging. Those specializing in demography, international development, or health may work for international organizations such as the World Bank, the United Nations, and the World Health Organization.