معرفی
Dr. Joseph O. Baker is a Professor in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at East Tennessee State University's School of Humanities and Social Sciences. A recognized expert in the social scientific study of religion, deviance, and politics, he has authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, as well as four well-received books. His research spans multiple areas including secularism, Christian nationalism, paranormal beliefs, and the sociology of deviance.
Dr. Baker's research interests focus on the sociological patterns of religious and non-religious belief systems and their social consequences. His work examines how religious identity intersects with political attitudes, health outcomes, and social behaviors. He has made significant contributions to understanding the 'Nones' (religiously unaffiliated), Christian nationalism, and the relationship between religion and paranormal beliefs.
His most recent publications reveal a continued focus on contemporary issues including vaccine hesitancy, immigration attitudes, and the 2020 presidential election. These works demonstrate his ability to connect religious identity with current social and political concerns.
- Awards from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
- Former editor-in-chief of the journal Sociology of Religion
Dr. Baker teaches undergraduate courses including Introduction to Sociology, Social Statistics, Sociology of Crime and Punishment, Deviant Behavior, Religion, Medicine, and Health, and Social Theory, as well as graduate courses in Sociology of Religion and Seminar on Crime and Delinquency. His teaching directly reflects his research expertise in religion, deviance, and social theory.
His research laboratory, while not formally named in available materials, focuses on the sociological study of religious and non-religious phenomena, with particular attention to how belief systems shape social attitudes and behaviors in contemporary American society.
