John’s Journey

John J. Macionis was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began studying engineering at Cornell University before majoring in sociology and earning a bachelor’s degree. John received a doctorate in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania.

John J. Macionis
A Welcome Message from John
Read the Preface to each of John's New Editions
Macionis Textbooks/Learning Materials
Welcome to the John Macionis website, which encourages us to see the path to change. Perhaps you are a college or university teacher, perhaps you are a student, but almost certainly you are a person concerned about the state of our world.
The goal of all our publishing has always been quality without compromise. To achieve this objective, I am personally involved in all aspects of developing our texts. Beyond doing all the writing, I work on design and production, which includes the selection of all images.
What's New?

The print editions of these two titles are available now for student rental. The REVEL interactive editions are also available now. For students who purchase Revel and wish to have a print copy, a three-ring full-color print edition is available for a few dollars more. Very low cost e-Texts, which are not interactive, also available .

Our new introductory titles--Sociology 18e (25 chapters) and Society: The Basics (18 chapters) represent major revisions and state-of-society coverage to support you with best-in-class content.

What does "best-in-class" mean? Below, six major goals of these revisions are presented.

What's New: Chapter by Chapter in Society: The Basics 16th edition and Sociology, 18th edition.

This is the Future...
…From a Long-time Classroom Teacher Who Continues to Learn

The focus of my work remains writing what I hope are the most engaging, up-to-date, and change-focused texts in the field of sociology. In an age of outsourcing and cost saving, I still do the work the old-fashioned way--by myself, and I do what it takes to get it right. All the content, all the supplements, all the test questions are done “in house” so you can have complete confidence in accuracy and quality. The Revel digital learning material, which is fully functional on any and all computers and mobile devices, is interactive, current, and written to change lives and change society.

Why digital? This is the future and it is already here. Most of today’s students have experienced digital learning for their entire lives. Because students expect information to be available through electronic devices, they are most likely to complete assignments that are available online. There are other advantages as well. Our digital titles are completely ADA compliant, presenting material in ways that meet the needs of all people including those with various disabilities. Readers can modify screen size, just as students can choose to listen to content available in audio files.

Digital learning is also the answer to the long-time problem of high book prices: Revel titles are sold for less than half of cost of print books (and students may choose to purchase a supplemental print version for a small additional cost). Yes, they can also opt to rent print books for a very low cost.

Most important, digital allows all students to learn through discovery. Rather than passively reading a book, students interact with a digital title that invites the experience of active discovery. Every semester, I increase the interactive content of our titles. This is the bright future of learning. Will you join me and our students on this journey?

If you have questions or comments, I invite you to write to me at macionis@kenyon.edu

John J. Macionis
Some Tunes: A Gift to You

One of my favorite pastimes is music, playing as well as listening. Some years back, I spent time in a local recording studio performing oldies tunes that have stayed with me over the years. The link below will take you to the music page of this site. There, you will find one of the CDs from that time, featuring nineteen of my favorite “covers.” Grab your headphones! I hope you enjoy listening to these songs.

Video Lecture on Economic Inequality

Here is a forty minute video lecture that examines income inequality beginning with my own Kenyon campus and then investigates broader patterns of inequality in diverse work settings, including education, medicine, and the world of finance. The presentation also contrasts public perceptions to the reality of wealth inequality.

John J. Macionis
Video Lecture on Economic Inequality