Associate Professor, Sociology, Athabasca University
I am an associate professor of Sociology at Athabasca University. My primary interests are in the areas of human development, human potential, and human transformation.
For full text of my academic papers, visit https://athabascau.academia.edu/DrS
Human Spirituality
When it comes to human potential and human transformation, I find human spirituality and, in particular, mystical experience (what I would call connection experience) a fascinating subject. I explore human mystical experience in four recent papers, one entitled "The Sociology of Mysticism," another entitled "Dangerous Memories: Slavery, Mysticism, and Transformation," a third entitled "The Science of Ascension," and a final entitled "From Zoroaster to Star Wars, Jesus to Marx: The Science and Technology of Mass Human Behavior."
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Human Economics
You can’t talk about human potential and human transformation without talking about money and the economy. Without sufficient money, there is no way for an individual to actualize their potential. Unfortunately, our current global economy is one where unfettered accumulation ensures the vast majority live without the resources required to live a full and transformative life. I examine our current global economic system, the cyclic global economic crises which regularly ensue, and the pain and suffering involved, in my book, "Rocket Scientists’ Guide to Money and the Economy." I also provide an educational video entitled Money Moksha to go along with the book, available on YouTube.
How the conservative right hijacks religion
Jul 09, 2019 23:29 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics
Democrats are beginning to challenge the Republican grip on the language of religion and faith in the United States. Democrat Sen. Chris Coons, a graduate of Yale Divinity School, recently wrote an essay for The Atlantic,...
The Catholic Church is a rich male collective
Sep 24, 2018 06:41 am UTC| Insights & Views Life
Im a typical sociologist, meaning I am skeptical about religion and human spirituality. Although I attended Catholic Church as a small child, I could see the hypocrisy, even as a child. I rejected that religion at an early...
World War Three is being waged in cyberspace
Oct 05, 2017 03:35 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology
My introduction to advanced communication technology (i.e. the Internet and World Wide Web) came in 1999. Having grown up in the two-channel universe of the 1960s and 70s, I was agog at the power it represented. The...
Teen suicide is on the rise and this is why
Sep 11, 2017 15:17 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life
Every 40 seconds, another human life is taken by suicide, according to World Health Organization data. In Canada, a new report reveals that young people between the ages of 15 and 19, who are struggling with mental...
Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility
Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board
Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight