Research and writing on sociology, secularism, and culture.

This page highlights the work of scholars whose research and writing I admire.

Stephen A. Kent

A sociologist and professor at the University of Alberta, Stephen A. Kent is one of North America’s foremost experts on alternative and sectarian religions. His research focuses on controversial sects, cults, and new religious movements, with a particular emphasis on issues of coercion, mental health, and child abuse within these groups. He has published extensively on groups like Scientology and the Children of God, and his work has been recognized with the Margaret Thaler Singer Award for advancing the understanding of coercive persuasion.

Ajay Sandhu

Ajay Sandhu is a sociologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University. His research examines the intersection of surveillance, technology, and policing. He is particularly known for his work on “sousveillance”—the practice of citizens monitoring the police with smartphone cameras—and has explored how body-worn cameras and social media are changing the dynamics of police authority and visibility.

Justin Tetrault

Justin Tetrault is a Red River Métis scholar and an assistant professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University. His research is divided into two main areas: the experiences of incarcerated individuals, particularly Indigenous people within the Canadian prison system; and the rise of populism, extremism, and right-wing nationalist movements. He is dedicated to improving cultural supports for justice-involved Indigenous people and brings a critical, decolonizing perspective to his work on penality and social control.

Sara Rahmani

A Senior Lecturer in the Study of Religion, Sara Rahmani focuses on atheism, nonreligion, and the process of leaving religion (deconversion). Using qualitative methods, her work explores how individuals experience these transformations within broader social and cultural contexts. Her research has examined these questions within Buddhist meditation movements and, most recently, through a collaborative project centered on Māori perspectives on nonreligion and decoloniality in Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Canada.