For courses in Social Problems.
Macionis's Social Problems is the first text to examine the social construction of social problems. The text applies various theoretical paradigms, including social-conflict, structural-functional, and symbolic-interaction, to the issues and brings politics to life with conservative, liberal, and radical perspectives on all issues and solutions.
John J. Macionis (pronounced ma-SHOW-nis) was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received his bachelor's degree from Cornell University and his doctorate in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Macionis's 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.
Macionis is best known for twenty years of work as a textbook author, and his books are the most popular in the discipline. Sociology and Society: The Basics (both from Prentice Hall) provide introductions to sociology, and Macionis also collaborates on various international editions of these texts. Macionis and Nijole V. Benokraitis have edited the anthology Seeing Ourselves: Classic, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural Readings in Sociology. In addition, Macionis and Vincent Parrillo are authors of the urban studies text Cities and Urban Life. The latest on all the Macionis textbooks, as well as information and dozens of Internet links of interest to students and faculty, are found at the author's personal Web site http://www.macionis.com or http://www.TheSociologyPage.com. You will find additional information as well as online study guides for the texts at the Prentice Hall site, http://www.prenhall.com/macionis.
John Macionis is Professor and Prentice Hall Distinguished Scholar of Sociology at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. During a career of almost twenty-five years at Kenyon, he has chaired the Sociology Department, directed the college's multidisciplinary program in humane studies, and presided over the campus senate and also the college's faculty. In 1998, the North Central Sociological Association named Macionis recipient of the Award for Distinguished Contribution to Teaching, citing his work with textbooks and his pioneering use of new technology in sociology.
Professor Macionis has been active in academic programs in other countries, having traveled to some fifty nations. In the fall of 1994, 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 so 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 Kemyon, Macionis offers a wide range of courses, and regularly teaches Social Problems. Indeed, much of the planning and the content of this text was inspired in the classroom. Macionis enjoys extensive contact with students and each term invites 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. Their home serves as a popular bed and breakfast where they enjoy visiting with old friends and making new ones. In his free time, John enjoys bicycling through the Ohio countryside, swimming, sailing, and playing oldies rock and roll on his guitar. He tests the patience of his family as he is learning to play 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
