About the author
John J. Macionis (pronounced "ma-SHOWnis") has been in the classroom teaching sociology for more than forty years. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, John earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University, majoring in sociology, and then completed a doctorate in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.
His publications are wide-ranging, focusing on community life in the United States, interpersonal intimacy in families, effective teaching, humor, new information technology, and the importance of global education. In addition to authoring this best-seller, Macionis has also written Society: The Basics, the most popular paperback introductory text in the field, now in its fourteenth edition. John has also authored Sociology, the most popular full-sized introductory text, now in its sixteenth edition. He collaborates on international editions of the texts: Sociology: Canadian Edition; Society: The Basics, Canadian Edition; and Sociology: A Global Introduction. All of his texts, including Cities and Urban Life are available for high school students and in various foreign-language editions. In addition, Macionis edited the best-selling anthology Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology, also available in a Canadian edition. Macionis is also the author of Social Problems, now in its sixth edition and the leading book in this field.
The Macionis introductory and social problems texts are now available in low-cost electronic editions in the REVEL program. These exciting programs offer an interactive learning experience. Unlike other authors, John takes personal responsibility for writing all electronic content, just as he authors all the supplemental material. John proudly resists the trend toward "outsourcing" such material to non-sociologists.
John Macionis recently retired from full-time teaching at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he was Professor and Distinguished Scholar of Sociology. During that time, he chaired the Sociology Department, directed the college's multidisciplinary program in humane studies, presided over the campus senate and the college's faculty, and taught sociology to thousands of students.
In 2002, the American Sociological Association presented Macionis with the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching, citing his innovative use of global material as well as the introduction of new teaching technology in his textbooks.
Professor Macionis has been active in academic programs in other countries, having traveled to some fifty nations. He writes, "I am an ambitious traveler, eager to learn and, through the texts, to share much of what I discover with students, many of whom know little about the rest of the world. For me, traveling and writing are all dimensions of teaching. First, and foremost, I am a teacher--a passion for teaching animates everything I do."
At Kenyon, Macionis taught a number of courses including Urban Sociology, Introduction to Sociology, and Social Problems. He continues to enjoy extensive contact with students across the United States and around the world.
John now lives near New York City. In his free time, Macionis enjoys tennis, swimming, hiking, and playing oldies rock-and-roll. Macionis is as an environmental activist in the Lake George region of New York's Adirondack Mountains, where he wo
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