In contributing to Map Reveals States Where Youth Are Most At Risk, I explained how youth risk factors, poverty, education inequality, crime, and limited healthcare access are rooted in structural inequalities, emphasizing the urgent need for policies supporting vulnerable children and communities nationwide.
I'm always grateful when people outside of academia reach out for sociological insights on today’s pressing social issues. Recently, I was asked to weigh in on a question that continues to gain urgency: Why do so many rural young people in the United States feel profoundly disconnected from society? Too often, public conversations default to... 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 →
I Grew Up Poor: How I Reached the Upper Middle Class by Age 30 | GOBankingRates We talked to Kent Bausman, professor of sociology at Maryville University in St. Louis, whose life shows one example of going from rags to riches. After growing up poor with just his single mom, he took deliberate steps to... Continue Reading →
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 →
Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) was a prominent American sociologist, known for his contributions to the field of sociology of science, social theory, and research methods. He was born Meyer Robert Schkolnick in Philadelphia to immigrant parents from Eastern Europe. Merton attended Temple University in Philadelphia, where he received his bachelor's degree in sociology in 1931.... Continue Reading →
I was invited recently to share my understanding of the school to prison pipeline for “The Hill” Here is the link https://thehill.com/changing-america/opinion/577843-busting-the-school-to-prison-pipeline-takes-more-than-diversity
