John Bogardus received his M.A. in Sociology from the University of British Columbia. For over a decade, he was active in trade union, community and global social justice concerns while successively employed as a sawmill and steel foundry worker, first aid attendant, and journeyman carpenter. Training as a psychiatric nurse led to extended employment as a youth worker in a residential treatment centre and an interest in the power dynamics inherent in the production of knowledge, the subject of his doctoral thesis in Anthropology at SFU.

John joined SFU's Department of Sociology and Anthropology to facilitate innovative teaching practices and to develop undergraduate courses in both disciplines. John’s teaching focus is complemented by research interests such as critical theory in sociology and anthropology, critical pedagogy, political economy, community-centred practice, institutional ethnography, participatory action research and global social justice. John currently is a member of the Advisory Committee of the student-initiated Experiential Learning Project.