George Herbert Mead argued that the self develops through social interaction. He divided the self into the spontaneous “I” and the socialized “Me.” As we learn to take the role of others and understand the expectations of the generalized other, we gain the ability to navigate multiple social roles in everyday life.
When sociological analysis enters public conversations about policy, governance, and lived experience, it helps move debate beyond slogans toward less biased understanding. #PublicSociology I was recently cited in a national political analysis published by Washington Examiner examining how Gavin Newsom’s response to homelessness may shape broader debates connected to the governing legacy of President Barack... Continue Reading →
Every generation grows up believing the next one is making the world worse — but the real story is far more revealing. Boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z are all shaped by the cultural, economic, and technological shocks of their youth, creating shared patterns that repeat across history. Despite the noise of “generational wars,” the underlying forces shaping our identities are remarkably similar. Understanding these patterns doesn’t just explain why tensions flare up — it shows how social change actually happens.
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.
The Mirror US News recently asked me how the Trump administration’s portrayal of Antifa reflects a broader sociological pattern of moral panic and political framing.For my contribution, I explained how labeling Antifa as a “shadowy and violent enemy” serves as a strategic political tool undermining left-wing critics, discouraging protest, and legitimizing aggressive law enforcement tactics.... Continue Reading →
Earlier this week, I was quoted in a Truthout (a not-for-profit news organization) for article examining the upcoming “No Kings” protests and the political framing around so-called antifa activity. You can read it here: https://truthout.org/articles/no-kings-protests-set-to-sweep-us-even-as-trump-increases-attacks-on-activists/ In my comments, I tried to draw attention to how political actors use labels to shape the public imagination long... Continue Reading →
In this article I share with the writer that conspiracy theories and moral panics surge during social change, fueling collective fear, spreading misinformation, fracturing culture, eroding trust, and ultimately threatening democracy and public health worldwide.
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 →
This week, I had a unique opportunity to blend teaching with #publicsociology. About 30 minutes before my morning Research Methods class, I received a media query from Newsweek asking why Gen Z experiences a greater sense of hopelessness compared to past generations. https://www.newsweek.com/are-young-people-lazy-hopeless-2037840 Rather than answering alone, I decided to turn my class (22 students,... Continue Reading →
Max Weber's landmark work, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905), offers profound insights into the interplay between religious belief systems and economic behavior. Central to Weber's argument is the connection between Calvinism, a form of Protestantism, and the rise of capitalism. But how did religious ideals influence economic practices? Let’s delve into... 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’m not sure how I feel about the operating title of this piece. I was nevertheless happy to have the opportunity to share my sociological insights with Newsweek. It was on a recent study examining the role of ideology in influencing where we live. Is this the next criteria for residential segregation? Read more here... Continue Reading →
I had the opportunity to share my sociological thoughts with a non-English speaking audience regarding a recent Pew study concerning the state of the American Middle Class. Elements of our conversation also delved into what the implications of its findings will have on the up coming election, and some of Vice President Harris policy proposals.... 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
I was recently asked to share my sociological insights with Forbes on the recent Florida ban related to children and social media. Here is the link 👇🏼 Florida’s Social Media Ban Could Result In ‘Forbidden Fruit’ Effect
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 →
Discover the impact of AI on reality and explore the concept of the death of the real. Read my blog post now!
In 1846, Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels published one of their earliest works together titled The German Ideology. In it they laid out Marx's materialistic conception of history. His theory of historical materialism contends that the material conditions of society, such as the means of it production and the ownership of it affect the nature... 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 →
Theodore Adorno was a German philosopher and sociologist, who was born in Germany in 1903 and died in Switzerland in 1969. He was one of the leading members of the Frankfurt School, a group of critical theorists who were concerned with analyzing and criticizing the culture and society of modernity. Adorno's work covered a broad... 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 →
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/
Had an interesting conversation with the authors on the implications of these forms and directions of public pressure as a new check and balance on the operation of our justice system Prosecutors dropped the charges against Adnan Syed, the subject of the "Serial" podcast. We’re answering your questions about what may happen next. — Read... Continue Reading →
I was invited to write my thoughts about the implications of a recent policy change Airbnb made this summer. The piece discusses how listings can be destabilizing for a neighborhood’s oversight of public safety. I feel I should note that I have used such services in lodging myself, and have preferred the experience compared to... Continue Reading →
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.
“The dangers of misinformation could release a powder keg of conflict in the region, but its use for relating real time information and galvanizing support may just prove to be Putin's Achilles heel."
"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 →
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
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 →
A recent study suggests a possible link between Airbnb's and the occurrence of crime. Here is my recently requested inference of that study and those like it. — Read on thecrimereport.org/2021/08/06/is-there-a-link-between-airbnb-and-neighborhood-crime-rates/
Link below 👇🏼 http://www.linkedin.com/posts/thamarrahjones_join-us-january-27th-on-linkedin-live-at-activity-6760244591363940352-2y4d This is my 19 year old factory working self that I refer to in the interview.
We've seen social media sell our personal data and spread misinformation and hate, and our personal data. But we still can’t break up with it. — Read on http://www.damemagazine.com/2020/12/15/why-do-we-stay-online/
