Extreme wealth at the scale of a trillion dollars is a moral and social crisis. Such wealth concentrate power and influence while billions remain in precarity. Drawing on Marx, Smith, and Christian ethics, this essay argues that unbounded accumulation undermines justice, civic equality, and human flourishing, revealing the moral absurdity of extreme inequality.
You may not see it right away, especially if your pint is full, but it’s there. A group of workers ribbing each other in a dialect as thick as the stout they’re drinking. A group of female students talk loudly about boys whose faces you will never see, all while sipping on a variety of... Continue Reading →
Baby Boomers and fellow Gen Xers are you feeling pangs of social déjà vu? You’re not imagining things. This week, I had the opportunity to share some sociological insights with Newsweek reporter Melissa Fleur Afshar in her latest piece examining the parallels between our current decade and the turbulence of the 60s and 70s. From... Continue Reading →
I recently shared my sociological insights for this print article of Newsweek magazine (April 18, 2025) which happens to be its cover story exploring shifting trends in birth and fertility rates, as well as how Millennials and Gen Z are redefining marriage and relationships. As a sociologist, it's always encouraging to see national media engage... Continue Reading →
This past summer as I noted in an earlier post, I had the privilege of leading a study abroad program with Maryville University of Saint Louis and Maryville University Online Our location was Oxford, England where we explored the rich sociological surroundings of local pubs. Our time in Oxford was insightful, as we visited nearly... Continue Reading →
I was recently asked to share my sociological insights on the popularity of True Crime podcasts. "The show that helped free Adnan Syed completely upended how much the average person knows about US legal and prison systems." — Read on http://www.vox.com/culture/351238/serial-true-crime-podcast-criminal-justice-adnan-syed
During my recent travel to the Dominican Republic, I had the opportunity to explore the less affluent sides of town. Away from the popular tourist areas, you are struck by the stark contrast between the bustling resorts and the modest neighborhoods where locals reside. It was impossible to ignore the visible disparities in living conditions... Continue Reading →
Discover the impact of AI on reality and explore the concept of the death of the real. Read my blog post now!
Emile Durkheim introduced the concept of Anomie in “The Division of Labor in Society" published in 1893. He added to it further with his later publication in 1897 “Suicide.” Generally, anomie refers to a societal state of normlessness or lack of social cohesion. This normlessness occurs when there is a breakdown in the general social... Continue Reading →
Thorstein Veblen’s The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) critiques conspicuous consumption and leisure, exploring how affluent social strata display status through nonproductive wealth and class-based leisure. His work remains foundational in sociology and economics for its enduring insight into consumerism, social stratification, and cultural evolution.
"The interesting dynamic of social media's contribution to conspiracy theories is not only its amplification of existing or emergent theories, but also how it has exponentially added to their commodification," said Bausman. — Read on http://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2023/02/04/social-media-has-an-answer-for-everything--unfortunately-most-are-conspiracy-theories-you-shouldnt-believe/
The pandemic appears to have awakened a new form of worker consciousness that social media is tapping into and helping to amplify. — Read on thehill.com/opinion/technology/3719960-whether-its-soft-lifers-or-quiet-quitters-covid-created-a-new-workforce/
We (you) are the state. We are the arbitrators of collective affairs. Without us there is anarchy and no possibility of enduring happiness. The state is our collective voice, our contribution to the definition of a life of liberty in this shared world. Our individual pursuits of happiness and their resulting successes and failure are... Continue Reading →
My recent by-line in The Crime Report: For the last three decades, at least until recently, the U.S. has been experiencing a steady decline in overall violent crime and homicide rates. Nevertheless, over that same period, there has been a steady increase in the frequency of mass shooting events, like the incident that left six... Continue Reading →
Bausman continued. "Social media and its variety of platforms has yet to establish some type of equivalent set of filters. Without these de-facto gatekeepers of information, bad actors now have platforms to disseminate misinformation and shape the narrative of events on the ground." https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2022/03/31/social-media-has-provided-a-skewed-account-of-the-war-in-ukraine/?sh=e93fb9d7826e
“They were making all these kinds of psychological arguments that this music was having incredibly damaging effects to our generation," Bausman said.
"A recognized paid endorsement by a customer – not a celebrity or public figure – or employee diminishes the authority of the positive review and thereby diminishes its intended influence," explained Bausman. "It is one thing to use paid reviews to bring attention to a business' product and its quality; it's quite telling however to use paid... Continue Reading →
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/10/14/tv-violence-squid-game-watch/ I was recently interviewed by a reporter from the Washington Post. We talked about the social phenomenon that is Netflix popular series “The Squid Game.” I shared with her my sociological thoughts on the cultural importance of artifacts within society to bond around. When earlier generations were glued around the radio, only to be... Continue Reading →
