Various stakeholders were engaged in crafting the roadmap. The numerous, and sometimes differing standpoints, provide the roadmap with an all-inclusive appeal where the aspirations of the students, the drive of the faculty, the assessments of the alumni, and the suggestions of the external stakeholders (industry, government, civil society) are spun into a direction set for a Sosyolohiya that moves towards the future while grounded in its ideological roots.
STUDENTS
FACULTY
Students are at the heart of Sosyolohiya, both as learners and as emerging practitioners. The discipline has attracted more students compared to the past, as manifested in the increasing enrollment turnout in schools and universities that offer the program. This is particularly observed in state-supported institutions such as the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs). This increased uptake to Sociology, which now include updated curricula, participatory classroom methods, fieldwork integration, and community immersion programs, significantly increased student engagement.
Based on the survey, many sociology majors reported that the curriculum improved their ability to analyze social issues critically. There is also a growing clamor from the students and alumni that have broached the need to professionalize the discipline by imposing licensure examinations which is perceived to create a seal of legitimacy and recognition similar to other state-regulated professions.
Faculty are pivotal in shaping the revitalized identity of Sosyolohiya. Recent faculty development initiatives, such as curriculum reviews, collaborative publications, and international conferences, have enabled and reinforced the discipline's continuous growth.
To facilitate this further, respondents from this sector have suggested that micro-credentials in Sociology be offered, as a means of expanding the discipline into other sectors where it can contribute, like the industries through specialized research skills in conducting social impact assessments (SIA) or in implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. In this way, Sosyolohiya can potentially introduce perspectives in other professional and industrial environments, which could benefit from a sociological lens.
Technical Panel and Commission on Higher Education
Civil Society and NGOs
The Technical Panel (TP) for Sociology of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) plays a critical role in shaping the direction of sociology education through curriculum standardization, faculty development, and program accreditation. Engagements with TP-CHED have resulted in more inclusive and responsive curriculum policies, such as the integration of sociology in the General Education Curriculum (GEC) and the revisions to the outcomes of BA Sociology programs.
In recent years, TP-CHED consultations have also included more voices from regional HEIs, NGOs, and early-career sociologists, reflecting an effort to democratize knowledge production and respond to local realities.
Sociology departments of the various HEIs have often partnered with civil society, particularly Non-government Organizations (NGOs) for community organizing and development work. Engagements include participatory action research, capacity-building workshops, or extension activities benefiting both students and communities.
In return, the NGOs have drawn on the expertise of the sociologists. The discipline's holistic approach, coupled with an attention to context and critical lens is able to lend itself to more comprehensive and appropriate solutions to community problems in particular, and social issues in general.
National and Local Government
Private Sector and Industry
Sosyolohiya has worked with and played a vital role in government at both national and local levels on policy research, demographic studies, and monitoring and evaluation programs. These had helped the government improve service delivery and people-focused governance.
Sociology's contribution to local governance and public policy has gained traction, especially in areas such as education, housing, disaster risk management, and social protection, to name a few.
While underexplored, the engagement of sociology with the private sector and industry is growing, particularly in areas of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs, social impact assessment (SIA), organizational culture, and labor relations.
Some graduates have been employed as social analysts and diversity officers in private corporations. Moreover, industries now engage sociologists to develop community engagement programs, such as the Social Development and Management Plans (SDMPs).
