Political Science studies the different power relationships between different types of authority and individuals (citizens, more specifically). Any professional licensed in this career will be able to perform multiple tasks: teaching studies and research, advising groups, organizations and structures of a socio-political nature.
Year after year, the Political Science degree generates interest among many high school graduates who are thinking about making the jump to the university world. Now, is it a good idea to study this career?
As a graduate in Political Science and Public Management, I am going to try to present the advantages and benefits of studying this career. This post will be treated from a personal point of view, where I will explain my experiences and thoughts, along with a purely professional approach and taking into account the job opportunities that the career offers. I hope it helps you decide.
Many people wonder… What is the object of study of Political Science? These are studies that allow you to acquire extensive knowledge in various branches related to politics, such as Public Administration, Political Economy, Political Philosophy, International Relations, as well as Research and Analysis of the many and varied social phenomena. and politicians that occur in our environment.
Although some think or affirm that studying Political Science “is of no use,” they are very wrong. Few – if not none – university courses will give you such a broad and varied background of knowledge, in addition to being a topic that directly affects our lives as citizens.
Why study Political Science? 12 keys
We are political beings and as such we should have analysis tools. Ultimately, everything that happens in politics changes our living conditions, whether in work, legal, educational, health life…
Next I am going to propose to you 12 essential points that will allow you to reflect and know if Political Science can be a field of study related to your interests and expectations.
1. Because you are passionate about politics
As with art, music, theater or sports, politics is pure passion, heart and values Nowadays there is a tendency to believe that the most popular profession, that of the politician, is that of wanting to benefit from an attractive position with an abusive salary for one’s own benefit. In some cases it can happen, unfortunately, but in most cases it does not.
The interest arises from the concern to know how the world works and the power relations, linked to ideas that we sympathize with and defend. It is not surprising, then, that many Politics students are also militants of political parties and vehemently defend their positions.
2. You are interested in discourse analysis
How many times have you heard a speech and analyzed it twenty times? It is another trait linked to passion, which manifests itself from a very early age. Well, although at a precocious age we still have a vague idea of what politics in general is, we do tend to have a well-defined basis for our scale of values.
When we listen to a speech, we try to find that subliminal message that few know how to appreciate. If you are one of those people who like to detect contradictions or fallacies in the verbal maneuvers of public representatives, you are a serious candidate to study Political Science.
3. You are concerned about social needs
If you live constantly analyzing and researching the needs of the society in which you find yourself, detecting latent problems as well as those that are priorities for you and from a subjective point of view (this is where values and ideas come in), The Policy degree can offer you even better tools and criteria
Furthermore, taking these studies will allow you to identify the political measures that could correct them.
4. You are organized (…or you would like to be)
Political Sciences are a very complex network of studies. Politics is, after all, about organizing and managing the daily life of a community, planning and being persistent at work.
This profession is evaluated on a day-to-day basis, with each problem and with different political entities for decision-making. Depending on the decision chosen, the final result will be applauded or booed. If you are an organized person or you want to enhance this capacity, there is nothing better than this race
It is not necessary to be a mass leader or an epic speaker, but if you have certain ideals you should be part of that force that wants to promote change. Both for one side, “the left”, and for “the right” so that we understand each other.
It doesn’t matter which side you choose, the important thing is to have collective conscience and fight for the common good If you believe that your ideas could generate a more just, innovative and supportive society, you could be a good political scientist (and also a good politician if you like action more than analysis).
6. You prefer the word as a solution method
Politics is based on the power of words and oratory to convince others, our public The more communicative capacity you have, the better the ideas and values that we want to apply to the political system are transmitted.
The good politician faces conflict through the gift of words to resolve any type of discrepancy. Thus, the communion between clarity of ideas and oratorical resources are two of the essential competencies of a politician who aspires to lead an organization or even a nation.
7. You think everything is related to Political Science
From the price of coffee we pay to the distribution of goods on the streets in a city, everything has to do with Political Science. The names of the streets, the laws that regulate different taxes, the influence of certain religious minorities, the power of large companies, the hours that stores and businesses must comply with… everything depends on what happens in political life
Nothing is left to chance. All laws meet certain needs and solutions to live in harmony. And society, as I would say Thomas Hobbes in “The Leviathan”, it is regulated by a social contract between citizens and the power that governs them. If you are aware of all this, you will have developed the necessary criteria to study this career.
8. You are creative (or like to practice divergent thinking)
Contrary to what is usually thought, Politics is not just a strict decision-making guideline There is no infallible formula to apply to a conflict or social problem.
In politics you have to be proactive and not reactive, and that is where creativity comes into play. Political science allows us to combine creativity, critical thinking and collective work. This particular characteristic generates high levels of satisfaction for the professionals who dedicate themselves to it.
On a personal level, I would like to emphasize this point. Just as a psychologist wants to know what happens in his patient’s mind, or a sociologist is interested in the behavior of society, the political scientist wants, in a certain way, to know how institutions work, the relationships between States, the processes that happen in local governments or the reason for a war.
If you have been interested in reading and informing yourself about these issues since you were young, you are likely to be a good political scientist in the near future
10. You want to know yourself better
I remember the first day of class. A classroom of 50 people, in some cases divided into “thoughts or ideas” groups. There were those on the left, right, anarchists, statists, militarists, etc. It is incredible to breathe the atmosphere of a group like this, each person or group with their ideas defended with a knife. There were often verbally harsh but interesting confrontations.
In Political Science, The individual learns to know himself better, to identify himself and polish his knowledge, something that no other career offers
11. Great, but… what professional opportunities can this career offer you?
The degree in Political Science will open the doors to a wide range of jobs Most of the options available tend to be well-paid, in addition to providing the satisfaction of being able to use your skills and critical sense.
Feeling like a necessary person, and not a mere number: this is one of the main advantages of being a political scientist. NGOs, Public Administration or Political Advisor, are some of the most attractive career opportunities in the sector.
12. You are looking for a varied and adventurous profession
Related to the previous point, Political Sciences and its career opportunities constitute an interesting future project for those people who reject routine and order.
As a politician or political scientist you will be in constant search for knowledge, you will explore different countries you will work with people from all over the globe and no day will be the same as the last.
And if I don’t dedicate myself to it, what do I do?
Don’t worry or obsess about it. Many of us passionate political scientists do not have the profession.
It is something common and that I would like to add to the article so as not to hide anything from the current reality. Those of us who have studied Political Science never stop being interested in what happens around us.
And although given the circumstances where we are forced to work as interns, The future is promising as we have to face new challenges following the evolution of modern society and unresolved conflicts, such as the refugee crisis and their integration into societies with radically opposite cultures.
