Douglas Baer

Ph.D. (Waterloo, 1987)
Professor

Dr. Baer feels that sociology's strength lies in its diversity of methodological approaches, its critical stance with respect to social issues, and the wide range of social concerns it deals with. His own research has included the comparative cross-national study of voluntary association participation, politics and ideology in Canadian society, cultural differences between Americans and Canadians, and patterns of social inequality in Canada. He teaches in these areas and in quantitative research methods.

He is presently the Academic Director of the University of Victoria Branch Statistics Canada Research Data Centre (affiliated with UBC and SFU through a BC inter-university consortium), which he founded in 2006. He is also the Data Co-ordinator for BC Metropolis (Centre of Excellence).

Areas of interest

Quantitative Methodology
Social Inequality
Political Sociology
Immigration

Publications

Selected Publications

Baer, D. 2007. "Voluntary Association and New Social Movement Association Involvement in Comparative Perspective" ch. 3 (pp. 67-125) in Lars Tragardh (ed.) The State and Civil Society in Northern Europe: The Swedish Model Reconsidered. New York: Berghahn Books.

Baer, D. 2005. "On the Crisis in Canadian Sociology. Canadian Journal of Sociology, 30(4), 491-502.

Baer, D. 2004. "Educational Credentials and the Changing Occupational Structure" pp. 115-130 in J. Curtis, E. Grabb, N. Guppy, Social Inequality in Canada. 4th edition. Toronto: HBJ Canada.

Kierkus, C. and D. Baer. 2003. "Does the Relationship Between Family Structure and Delinquency Vary According to Circumstances?" Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 45(4), 405-429.

Curtis, J., D. Baer and E. Grabb. 2001. "Nations of Joiner: Explaining Voluntary Association Membership in Democratic Societies," American Sociological Review, 66(6), 783-805.