Markus Schafer

Markus Schafer is a Professor of Sociology at Baylor University and serves as Graduate Program Director. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and Gerontology from Purdue University (2011) and a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology from Grove City College (2005). His research focuses on health and aging, particularly examining childhood adversity, social networks in later life, and organizational ageism.

• Ph.D., Sociology and Gerontology, Purdue University, 2011
• M.A., Sociology, Purdue University, 2007
• B.A., Psychology and Sociology, Grove City College, 2005

Schafer’s work investigates how early life experiences shape health outcomes, the evolution of social networks in older adults, and systemic age discrimination. His research spans health sociology, life course theory, and cumulative inequality, with recent publications addressing pandemic-era social contact, network negativity, and religiosity’s impact on aging.

His research trends reveal interdisciplinary engagement with aging, social networks, and health disparities. Articles frequently analyze longitudinal data, spatial patterns of isolation, and the interaction between healthcare systems and childhood conditions. Studies explore religiosity’s role in adult flourishing, network resilience post-widowhood, and HIV testing behaviors in South Africa.

Schafer has received funding from the Province of Ontario’s Early Research Award program and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). He currently serves as deputy editor of the Journals of Gerontology, Social Sciences and co-editor of the forthcoming Handbook of the Sociology of Aging, 2nd Ed.