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.

Tune in for this insightful conversation via: For Sociology