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Kevin J. McCaffree

Title: Associate Professor

Department: Sociology

College: College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae Link

Education

  • PhD, University of California, Riverside, 2014
    Major: Sociology
    Specialization: Theory; Criminology
    Dissertation: Faith, Christianity, and Non-Affiliation in the United States
  • MA, University of California, Riverside, 2011
    Major: Sociology
  • BA, Humboldt State University, 2008
    Major: Sociology

Current Scheduled Teaching

SOCI 3700.001Sociology of ReligionSpring 2025
SOCI 3630.001Drugs, Crime and SocietyFall 2024 Syllabus
SOCI 5050.001Sociological TheoryFall 2024

Previous Scheduled Teaching

SOCI 5950.702Master's ThesisSummer 10W 2024
SOCI 3700.900Sociology of ReligionSummer 5W1 2024 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5950.702Master's ThesisSpring 2024
SOCI 4340.001Social Psychology and Behavior in the Social EnvironmentSpring 2024 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 3630.001Drugs, Crime and SocietyFall 2023 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5950.702Master's ThesisFall 2023
SOCI 5050.001Sociological TheoryFall 2023 SPOT
SOCI 5050.601Sociological TheoryFall 2023 SPOT
SOCI 5900.001Special ProblemsFall 2023
SOCI 3700.900Sociology of ReligionSummer 5W1 2023 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5950.702Master's ThesisSpring 2023
SOCI 4340.001Social Psychology and Behavior in the Social EnvironmentSpring 2023 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 3200.900Sociological Theory.Spring 2023 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 6900.704Special ProblemsSpring 2023
SOCI 3630.001Drugs, Crime and SocietyFall 2022 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5950.702Master's ThesisFall 2022
SOCI 5050.001Sociological TheoryFall 2022 SPOT
SOCI 5950.702Master's ThesisSummer 5W1 2022
SOCI 3700.900Sociology of ReligionSummer 5W1 2022 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5950.702Master's ThesisSpring 2022
SOCI 4340.001Social Psychology and Behavior in the Social EnvironmentSpring 2022 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 3200.001Sociological Theory.Spring 2022 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5900.706Special ProblemsSpring 2022
SOCI 3630.001Drugs, Crime and SocietyFall 2021 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5950.710Master's ThesisFall 2021
SOCI 5050.001Sociological TheoryFall 2021 SPOT
SOCI 5050.601Sociological TheoryFall 2021 SPOT
SOCI 3700.900Sociology of ReligionSummer 5W1 2021 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5600.002Advanced Criminological TheorySpring 2021 SPOT
SOCI 5600.602Advanced Criminological TheorySpring 2021 SPOT
SOCI 5950.710Master's ThesisSpring 2021
SOCI 3200.900Sociological Theory.Spring 2021 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 6500.002Topics in SociologySpring 2021 SPOT
SOCI 5950.702Master's ThesisFall 2020
SOCI 6202.001Qualitative Research Methods and DesignFall 2020 SPOT
SOCI 5050.001Sociological TheoryFall 2020 SPOT
SOCI 5050.601Sociological TheoryFall 2020 SPOT
SOCI 1520.900Contemporary Social ProblemsSummer 5W1 2020 SPOT
SOCI 1510.900Introduction to SociologySummer 5W1 2020 SPOT
SOCI 3630.001Drugs, Crime and SocietySpring 2020 Syllabus
SOCI 5950.710Master's ThesisSpring 2020
SOCI 3700.001Sociology of ReligionSpring 2020 Syllabus
SOCI 3630.001Drugs, Crime and SocietyFall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5050.001Sociological TheoryFall 2019 SPOT
SOCI 5050.601Sociological TheoryFall 2019 SPOT
SOCI 5900.706Special ProblemsFall 2019
SOCI 1510.900Introduction to SociologySummer 5W1 2019 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 1510.950Introduction to SociologySummer 5W1 2019 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 5600.001Advanced Criminological TheorySpring 2019 SPOT
SOCI 5600.601Advanced Criminological TheorySpring 2019 SPOT
SOCI 5900.701Special ProblemsSpring 2019
SOCI 6500.001Topics in SociologySpring 2019 SPOT
SOCI 3630.001Drugs, Crime and SocietyFall 2018 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 6200.001Seminar on Research MethodsFall 2018 SPOT
SOCI 1510.900Introduction to SociologySummer 5W2 2018 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 1510.900Introduction to SociologySummer 5W1 2018 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 1510.950Introduction to SociologySummer 5W1 2018 Syllabus SPOT
SOCI 1510.950Introduction to SociologySummer 5W2 2018 Syllabus SPOT

Published Intellectual Contributions

    Book

  • Turner, J., Mccaffree, K. (2024). Evolutionary Analysis in the Social Sciences. Springer Nature.
  • Mccaffree, K. (2022). The Dance of Innovation: Infrastructure, Social Oscillation and The Evolution of Societies. Routledge.
  • Mccaffree, K. (2022). Cultural Evolution: The Empirical and Theoretical Landscape.. Routledge.
  • Abrutyn, S., Mccaffree, K. (2021). Sociological Theory: The Future of a Disciplinary Foundation.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2017). The Secular Landscape: The Decline of Religion in America. New York, NY, Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Book Chapter

  • McCaffree, K.J. (2024). The Alt-Left and Moral Righteousness. The Poisoning of the American Mind. Fairfax, VA, George Mason University Press.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2024). The Alt-Right and Moral Righteousness. The Poisoning of the American Mind. Fairfax, VA, George Mason University Press.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2024). What Caused the Alt-Left and Alt-Right?. The Poisoning of the American Mind. Fairfax, VA, George Mason University Press.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2023). Physiological Rhythms and Entrainment Niches: Morality as Interpersonal Music. Handbook of the Sociology of Morality, Volume 2. Handbook of the Sociology of Morality (2) 16. New York, Ny, Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/9783031320217
  • Mccaffree, K., Saide, A. (2022). Is atheism good for your health?. Atheism in Five Minutes. Equinox Publishing.
  • Puga, I., Wildman, W., Mccaffree, K., Cragun, R., Shults, F. (2021). InCREDulity in Artificial Societies.
  • Mccaffree, K. (2021). Sociological Theory Must Continue To Become More Interdisciplinary. Theoretical Sociology: The Future of a Disciplinary Foundation.
  • Stets, J., Mccaffree, K. (2019). The Moral Identity and Immoral Behavior. Identities in Everyday Life.
  • Abrutyn, Mccaffree, K. (2018). Evolutionary Sociology. Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2017). The Perception of Atheism as Deviant.. Handbook of Deviance Studies. 207-216.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2016). Sociology as the Study of Morality. Handbook of Contemporary Sociological Theory. 435-456.
  • Journal Article

  • Mccaffree, K.J., Saide, A.R., Shermer, M. (2023). The New Nones: An Empirical Study of Dual Religious and Political Non-Affiliation. Sociological Research Online. New York, NY, Sage.
  • Lane, J., McCaffree, K.J., Shults, L. (2023). The Moral Foundations of Left-Wing Authoritarianism: On the Character, Cohesion, and Clout of Tribal Equalitarian Discourse. Journal of Cognition and Culture. forthcoming (forthcoming) Brill.
  • Mccaffree, K., Shults, F. (2021). Distributive Effervescence: Emotional Energy and Social Cohesion in Secularizing Societies.. Theory and Society.
  • Saide, A., Mccaffree, K., Richert, R. (2021). Does “faith” in science correlate with indicators of well-being? Evidence for differential effects by gender. Journal of Cognition and Culture. https://brill.com/view/journals/jocc/21/1-2/article-p178_9.xml
  • Cragun, R., Mccaffree, K. Nothing Is Not Something: On Replacing Nonreligion with Identities.
  • Cragun, R., Mccaffree, K., Puga-Gonzalez, I., Wildman, W., Shults, L. (2021). Religious Exiting and Social Networks: Computer Simulations of Religious/Secular Pluralism.. 10 (2) 1-20. Ubiquity Press. https://www.secularismandnonreligion.org/articles/10.5334/snr.129/
  • Kwon, R., McCaffree, K. (2021). Muslim religious accommodations in Western Europe: Do multicultural policies impact religiosity levels among Muslims, Protestants, and Catholics?. International Migration. 59 (1) 215-240. UN Migration.
  • Turner, J.H., Collins, R., Mccaffree, K. (2020). Engaging Millenials on Sociological Theory. Sociological Perspectives.
  • Kwon, R., Mccaffree, k., Taylor, C. (2020). The Impact of Muslim Religious Accommodations on Subjective Well-Being Among Christian Majorities and Nonattendees: Evidence from the European Social Survey, 2002–2008. Social Science Quarterly. 101 (4) 1552-1571. Wiley and Blackwell.
  • Mccaffree, K., Abrutyn, S. (2020). Big Gods, socio-cultural evolution and the non-obvious merits of a sociological interpretation. Other. 50 (4) 570-589. Taylor and Francis.
  • McCaffree, K., Saide, A., Shermer, M. (2020). Racial dynamics underlying crime commission, emotionality, and last statements among executed offenders in Texas. Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1080/15377938.2019.1693466
  • Mccaffree, K. (2019). Towards an integrative sociological theory of empathy. Other.
  • Mccaffree, K. (2019). Atheism, Social Networks and Health: A Review and Theoretical Model. Other.
  • Mccaffree, K. (2019). Moral Realism in Historical Sociological Theory. Journal of Historical Sociology.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2018). A Sociological Formalization of Searle’s Social Ontology. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior. 48 (3) 330-349.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2018). Cocooned from Crime: A Routine Activities Approach to the Study of the Relationship Between Video Games and Crime. Other. 55 (1) 41-52.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2018). Moral Realism in Historical Sociological Theory. Journal of Historical Sociology.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2018). The Growth of Chinese Think Tanks and the Question of Crime. Other. 35 (1) 43-58.
  • McCaffree, K.J., Saide, A.R. (2017). Do secular and religious social networks meet the same individual and societal needs?. Religion, Brain & Behavior. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/2153599X.2016.1249912
  • Magazine/Trade Publication

  • McCaffree, K.J. (2022). Race & Policing: A Data-Driven Look at Policing and its Discontents. 27 (3) Altadena, Ca, Skeptic Magazine.
  • McCaffree, K.J., Saide, A.R. (2022). Inequality and Rejection: A Data-Driven Look Into Men’s Attitudes Toward Abortion. 27 (2) Altadena, CA, Skeptic Magazine.
  • Saide, A., McCaffree, K.J., McCready, M. (2021). Pandemic politics: Americans’ social and political attitudes in 2020. 26 (3) Altadena, CA, Skeptic Magazine.
  • McCready, M., Saide, A.R., McCaffree, K.J. (2020). Unpacking political life in America. 25 (4) Altadena, CA, Skeptic Magazine.
  • Saide, A.R., McCaffree, K.J. (2019). Book review: The coddling of the American mind. Skeptic.
  • McCaffree, K.J. (2018). Are Human Rights Natural Rights?. 23 60-63.
  • McCaffree, K.J., Saide, A.R. (2014). Why is critical thinking so hard to teach?. 19 (4) Altadena, CA, Skeptic Magazine.
  • Position Paper

  • Mccaffree, K. (2020). The Central Characteristic of Religiosity is Integration into a Moral Community, not Supernaturalism.
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Overall
Summative Rating
Challenge and
Engagement Index
Response Rate

out of 5

out of 7
%
of
students responded
  • Overall Summative Rating (median):
    This rating represents the combined responses of students to the four global summative items and is presented to provide an overall index of the class’s quality. Overall summative statements include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 5 = Excellent, 3 = Good, and 1= Very poor):
    • The course as a whole was
    • The course content was
    • The instructor’s contribution to the course was
    • The instructor’s effectiveness in teaching the subject matter was
  • Challenge and Engagement Index:
    This rating combines student responses to several SPOT items relating to how academically challenging students found the course to be and how engaged they were. Challenge and Engagement Index items include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 7 = Much higher, 4 = Average, and 1 = Much lower):
    • Do you expect your grade in this course to be
    • The intellectual challenge presented was
    • The amount of effort you put into this course was
    • The amount of effort to succeed in this course was
    • Your involvement in course (doing assignments, attending classes, etc.) was
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