Society: The Basics

With a new groundbreaking design, relevant applications, and a wealth of instructor and student resources, Society: The Basics, Eighth Edition helps students see sociology in their everyday lives!  

 John Macionis never started out to become a sociologist, but after enrolling in his first sociology course, he found that sociology helped him make sense of the world and that it was an interesting, exciting and fun discipline.  He wanted to share this excitement with the introductory sociology student, to help them see sociology in their everyday lives, and this is what led him to make teaching and writing about sociology his life's work.

 "I have been adopting this text for my introductory classes for many years, and my students have consistently found it to be both a rewarding and entertaining learning experience. And over the years, these teaching assignments have run the gamut-both day and evening classes, both traditional and adult learners, both community colleges and universities. I have been loyal to this text because I can find no better teaching tool and because students say they could not meet high academic standards and expectations without it."    Robert M. Khoury ~ St. John's University.

John J. Macionis (pronounced ma-SHOW-nis) was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and 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. Along with Sociology, the leading comprehensive text on the market, Macionis has also authored Society: The Basics, the leading brief text in the field, and he collaborates on international editions of the texts: Sociology: Canadian Edition, Society: The Basics, Canadian Edition, Seeing Ourselves, Canadian Edition, and Sociology: A Global Introduction (published by Prentice Hall Europe). Sociology is also available for high school students and in various foreign language editions. He and Nijole V. Benokraitis have edited the anthology Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology. In addition, Macionis and Vincent Parrillo have written the urban studies text: Cities and Urban Life (Prentice Hall). Macionis's most recent textbook is Social Problems, 2/E (Prentice Hall).

John Macionis is Professor and Distinguished Scholar of Sociology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. In 2003, he received the Philander Chase Medal for completing twenty-five years of teaching at Kenyon. During that time, he has chaired of the Sociology Department, directed the college's multidisciplinary program in humane studies, presided over the campus senate and also the college's faculty and, most important, taught sociology to thousands of students.

In 2002, the American Sociological Association named Macionis recipient of the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching, citing his innovative use of global material as well as introduction of new teaching technology in the development of his textbooks.

Professor Macionis has been active in academic programs in other countries, having traveled to some fifty nations. During his last study tour, he directed the global education course for the University of Pittsburgh's Semester at Sea program, teaching 400 students on a floating campus that visited twelve countries as it circled the globe.

Macionis 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 offers a wide range of upper-level courses, but his favorite course is Introduction to Sociology, which he teaches every year. He enjoys extensive contact with students and each term invites members of his classes to enjoy a home-cooked meal.

The Macionis family--John, Amy, and children McLean and Whitney--live on a farm in rural Ohio. In his free time, John practices yoga, and enjoys swimming and bicycling through the Ohio countryside. During the summer, he is a competitive sailor and, year-round, he enjoys performing oldies rock and roll and playing the Scottish bagpipes.

Professor Macionis welcomes (and responds to) comments and suggestions about this book from faculty and students. Write to the Sociology Department, Palme House, Kenyon College, Gambier, Ohio 43022, or direct e-mail to MACIONIS@KENYON.EDU