For Sociology

In this episode of For Sociology, host Kevin Caners speaks with Peter Bearman, Columbia University professor and recipient of the 2025 Kohli Prize for Sociology, about his landmark work on how social networks reveal the hidden structures shaping everyday life.
Bearman traces his path into sociology, from an early childhood moment that sharpened his awareness of different social standpoints to an undergraduate turning point that pulled him away from clinical psychology. He reflects on the influence of mentor Harrison White, and how concepts like "duality" helped him see networks not just as connections between people, but as systems that organize social worlds. The conversation then turns to Add Health and Bearman's landmark work on adolescent networks, including "Chains of Affection." He explains what sexual network structure can teach us about disease transmission, and why "missing ties" can be as important as visible ones. Finally, Bearman zooms out to sociology today: the pros and cons of expanding data, the incentives that reward quantity over depth, and the kinds of reforms that could make room for riskier, more transformative research.
Chapters:
00:00 Podcast intro
00:45 Meet Peter Bearman
02:11 Early sociological spark
06:58 From psychology to sociology
08:47 Undergrad turning point
11:11 Graduate school networks
12:27 Seeing the world in duals
15:20 Why networks matter
18:07 Dissertation and Add Health
21:21 Power of missing ties
25:10 Add Health origins
25:51 Chains of Affection
29:43 Rapid-fire questions
33:39 Duality and misconceptions
34:37 Outlook of Sociology today
35:51 Fixing academic incentives
39:16 The Deluge of data
42:31 Final thoughts

Links:
Find out more about The Kohli Foundation
More about Add Health

Rory Fitzgerald on the European Social Survey: Insights and Innovations
In this episode of For Sociology, host Kevin Caners sits down with Professor Rory Fitzgerald, Director of the European Social Survey (ESS) and recipient of the 2024 Kohli Infrastructure Prize, to uncover the story behind one of the most influential social research projects in Europe.
Fitzgerald reveals the origins of the ESS, the meticulous methodologies employed, and some of the fascinating findings gleaned from over two decades of data collection across 30 countries. They also discuss crucial societal issues such as public trust, immigration attitudes, and the effects of sociopolitical change.
Fitzgerald shares personal insights from his career and reflects on the future of the ESS — including the challenges of maintaining data quality and implementing innovative survey techniques. Tune in to discover how the ESS is shaping our understanding of European societies and beyond.
Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to For Sociology 00:45 Meet Professor Rory Fitzgerald 02:15 Understanding the European Social Survey (ESS) 03:37 The History and Evolution of the ESS 06:07 Challenges and Compromises in Cross-National Surveys 08:18 Rory Fitzgerald's Journey with the ESS 09:59 Day-to-Day Operations of the ESS 16:21 Adapting the ESS During the Pandemic 22:24 Making Data Popular: Labeling and Accessibility 22:42 ESS Usage Across Academia and Media 23:50 Noteworthy Findings from ESS Data 25:47 Convergence and Stability in European Social Attitudes 27:09 Popular ESS Modules: Attitudes Toward Immigration 28:04 Rapid-Fire Questionnaire: Personal Insights 32:10 Challenges and the Future of Sociology 38:24 Exciting Developments in the ESS 40:37 Conclusion and Farewell
 
Kohli Foundation's Website
Website of the European Social Survey

In this episode of For Sociology, host Kevin Caners sits down with Michèle Lamont, the 2024 Kohli Prize Laureate and one of the most influential sociologists of our time. A professor at Harvard University and former president of the American Sociological Association, Lamont has spent her career exploring how we define worth, dignity, and belonging in an increasingly divided world.
Through a wide-ranging conversation, Lamont reflects on her intellectual journey from Quebec to the top ranks of global sociology. She shares the inspiration behind her landmark books—Money, Morals, and Manners and The Dignity of Working Men—and explains how her work on symbolic boundaries helps us understand everything from class conflict to cultural inclusion.
We also dive into her latest research on young workers, the role of social movements, and how cultural narratives can reduce stigma and foster greater inclusivity. Finally, Lamont offers powerful insights—and a few surprises—on how sociology can rise to meet the moment.
Episode Guide:
00:00 Introduction to For Sociology
00:44 Meet Michèle Lamont: 2024 Kohli Prize Winner
01:51 From Quebec to Harvard: Michèle's Academic Journey
04:14 How Local Politics Shaped a Global Sociologist
08:51 Rethinking Social Worth and Inequality
10:28 Class Consciousness Across Cultures
14:39 Trump, Populism, and the Language of Belonging
22:04 Fighting Stigma: What Actually Works?
30:20 Rapid-Fire Reflections
43:20 Final Thoughts and Farewell
Podcast Illustration by Adam Matak

In this episode of For Sociology, host Kevin Caners speaks with Kathleen Mullan Harris, recipient of the 2023 Kohli Infrastructure Prize for Sociology. Harris discusses her pivotal role in Add Health, a groundbreaking, nationally representative longitudinal study launched in the mid-1990s that has tracked over 20,000 individuals from adolescence to adulthood.
The conversation delves into the study's origins, methodologies, and major contributions, highlighting how Add Health has advanced our understanding of the intersections between social, biological, and health factors across the life course. Harris also shares insights into the challenges of managing such a large-scale study and her vision for its future—aiming to follow participants throughout the entire course of their lives. 
Episode Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction 00:44 – Meet Kathleen Mullan Harris: 2023 Kohli Infrastructure Prize Winner 02:33 – The Origins and Evolution of Add Health 05:12 – Challenges and Innovations in Add Health 06:26 – The Scale and Scope of the Study 08:49 – Data Collection and Participant Involvement 11:55 – Genetic Sampling and Oversampling 16:53 – Data Accessibility and Impact 20:49 – The Unexpected Success of Add Health 21:40 – Transition to a Longitudinal Study 22:03 – Innovations in Wave 4 23:57 – Integrating Biological and Social Factors 26:19 – Wave 5 and Future Directions 26:46 – Challenges in Longitudinal Research 29:09 – Significant Findings from Add Health 31:30 – Health Trajectories and Socioeconomic Factors 33:17 – Race, Ethnicity, and Social Mobility 34:41 – Personal Reflections and Sociological Insights 40:00 – The Future of Add Health and Sociology 41:29 – Conclusion and Farewell

In this first episode of For Sociology, host Kevin Caners sits down with Gøsta Esping-Andersen, the inaugural Kohli Prize Laureate of 2023.
They discuss Esping-Andersen's groundbreaking work on social mobility and welfare states, including his seminal book The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism. Gøsta also reflects on his academic journey from Denmark to the University of Wisconsin, his motivations for studying sociology and demography, and the pivotal moments that shaped his career.
Through our unique Proust Questionnaire, we discover that if Gøsta weren't a sociologist, he'd likely be a carpenter. Finally, we hear about an unanswered question in sociology that fascinates Gøsta—the unexplained decline in fertility rates in advanced countries since 2012.
 
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction to For Sociology Podcast
01:22 – Gøsta's Academic Journey
08:16 – The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism
14:15 – The Impact of Early Childhood Policies
17:18 – Challenges of the Liberal Welfare Model
18:55 – Stability of Welfare Models
20:40 – Proust Questionnaire with Gøsta
25:55 – State of Sociology Today
29:49 – The Fertility Puzzle
32:46 – Conclusion and Farewell