As a recently retired physician with an undergraduate major in sociology, I am appalled by the decision of the Florida Board of Governors to remove this topic from the list of core general education subjects. Over a long career as a pediatric subspecialist, there was possibly no set of background courses and perspectives I returned to more often than my sociology training.
Sociology is commonly defined as “the study of the development, structure and functioning of human society.” That includes such topics as variations in cultures and beliefs — how different groups view the meaning of illness, who in the family is the likely decision-maker, how to work with people from different cultures, the significance of religion in decision-making or views on authority.
These are the type of things that anyone working closely with other people needs to be aware of and sensitive to. As a physician working with the families of sick children, these were issues to be considered daily.
If I found sociology so valuable in a highly technical field, it is likely even more so in fields such as criminology, tourism, event management and education, working with people from many cultures and backgrounds. Sociology courses will still be available on the curriculum, but far fewer students will get a taste of the subject and consider further exposure.