Adam is professor emeritus of political sociology at Simon Fraser University, specializing in human rights, comparative racisms, peace studies, Southern Africa, and ethnic conflict.
[1] Originally from Frankfurt, Germany, he is a former president of the International Sociological Association's Research Committee on Ethnic, Minority and Race Relations.
[2] Adam is noted for his work on ethnonationalism, which aims at understanding intergroup conflict and fostering a human rights culture that minimizes bigotry and communal strife.
The Society wrote of his work: "Mainly drawing upon Nazi Germany and Apartheid South Africa—where he has been involved in facilitating the 'negotiated revolution'—his nuanced analysis of anti-Semitism, colonial racism, and Canadian treatment of minorities goes beyond the conventional preaching of tolerance.
[4] He is married to Kogila Moodley, Professor of Anthropology and Sociology of Education at the University of British Columbia, who is co-author of his book Seeking Mandela: Peacemaking Between Israeli and Palestinians and other works.