My name is Kent Bausman, I am a first-generation college graduate and Gen Xer (1965 – 1980). I was raised by a single mother with limited economic means, meaning I faced the reality of the changing economy early on. Working on an assembly line for two years after barely graduating high school, I realized the necessity of a college degree to pursue the American Dream. At the age of 20, I found my way to The University of Oklahoma, supporting myself through college with a job at the Sunshine Store on Campus Corner, earning $4 an hour as a convenience store clerk.
Thirty years later, my investment in education has proven invaluable. With a B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. in Sociology, I’ve spent over two decades as a full-time college professor at a small Midwestern liberal arts university, supplemented by roles as an adjunct professor at a nearby R-1 university.
I’ve been fortunate to experience upward intergenerational mobility, celebrating twenty-five years of marriage and embracing fatherhood in middle age. On the side for nearly twenty years, I’ve nurtured my passion for abstract painting, showcasing my work in numerous public and juried exhibitions, with several pieces now held in private collections.
I hope you can find my musing here enlightening.
(Above photo is of my daughter and I next to a statue of Spartacus near Lugano, Switzerland)
Hello Dr. Bausman, I was at the Marysville website and noticed that your interest in sociology has a focus on economic inequality. I am interested in this too. I have a masters in Educational Leadership.
I am a retired teacher (science at LAUSD for 13 years) and now am President of NAMI El Dorado County. I network with the mental health providers and criminal justice providers in our County. I help promote affordable housing.
But lately, I’m thinking that as our government and constitution are dismantled, we need to have some policy proposals ready for when it all falls apart–that’s where study of sociology comes in. Your program is the first description I’ve been interested in, and so I’m writing to you to start a conversation which might lead to a program in Sociology for me. I don’t mind getting the Bachelors. I just want the education. I hope you respond to this message. Thank you.
Hi Diane,
Thank you for your message and my apologies for the delayed response. I truly appreciate you reaching out and taking the time to explore the sociology program at Maryville. It’s always encouraging to hear from individuals who are thinking critically about the intersection of social issues and public policy.
Your work, as a science educator and President of NAMI El Dorado County, reflects a deep commitment to community well-being something I greatly appreciate as a sociologist. The areas you’re engaged in, from mental health to criminal justice and housing, align closely with many of the questions we explore in sociology when it comes to the matter of economic inequality. You’re already doing sociology in an applied sense, which makes your interest in formal study particularly interesting.
In this current political climate and need for policy preparedness or at least responding to it is timely. For me, sociology has always offered powerful tools for understanding social upheaval and for imagining just and equitable futures. It’s heartening to hear that you see value in that lens.
If you’re seriously considering returning to school, whether to pursue a second bachelor’s or simply to deepen your understanding I’d be glad to help you think through the possibilities. Maryville is committed to supporting learners at all stages, and your insight would be a welcome addition to our academic community.
There is the wonderful reading by a late giant in our discipline named C. Wright Mills that I often assign to student call The Promise. It was a chapter from a larger book of his to share how sociology gives grounded understanding to the events around us and how we collectively should understand those responses. I don’t see a way to attach that reading to this message but here is a link to it. https://columbia.learningu.org/download/c5b1b114203614786bc32842e33dae4d/H87_Sociological-Imagination.pdf
Again, sorry for the delayed response. You caught me at the end of the term, and then I took some downtime. If you have any other questions of me or sociology just hesitate to reach out. I will try to be a bit more timely in my response.