Free will is an illusion. But freedom is not.

Weber says we live in an iron cage. In this cage, you can only produce what your organization demands, not what you truly want. You cannot be yourself. The only solution, Marx says, is revolution. We have to wrest the power away from where the power lies. We have nothing to lose but our chains.

But are you really powerless, right now? You may be constrained in many ways, but this should not stop you from finding freedom within the space you have. No system or revolution by itself can determine how well you use this space for freedom. Only you can.

The Sociology Practicum is a hands-on module written for anyone who wants to find their voice in the working world. It is tailor-made for Sociology students and graduates who wish to bring along the spirit of their discipline into their working worlds of choice, whatever the constraints awaiting them.

You will explore three ways you can exercise your voice in the working world: Express, Transgress and Recess. Each of them creatively builds on ideas from the three major schools of thought in Sociology: Functionalism, Conflict Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism. You will also explore the potential pitfalls involved in each approach and be given directions to address them.

This is a book of hope, that whoever you are, whatever you do, and wherever you work, you can breathe greater purpose into your working life.