Race and Ethnicity in the United States (7th Edition)
Richard T. Schaefergrew up in Chicago at a time when neighborhoods were going through transitions in ethnic and racial composition. He found himself increasingly intrigued by what was happening, how people were reacting, and how these changes were affecting neighborhoods and people’s jobs. In high school, he took a course in sociology. His interest in social issues caused him to gravitate to more sociology courses at Northwestern University, where he eventually received a B.A. in sociology.“Originally as an undergraduate I thought I would go on to law school and become a lawyer. But after taking a few sociology courses, I found myself wanting to learn more about what sociologists studied and was fascinated by the kinds of questions they raised,” Dr. Schaefer says. “Perhaps the most fascinating and, to me, relevant to the 1960s was the intersection of race, gender, and social class.” This interest led him to obtain his M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago. Dr. Schaefer’s continuing interest in race relations led him to write his master’s thesis on the membership of the Ku Klux Klan and his doctoral thesis on racial prejudice and race relations in Great Britain.Dr. Schaefer went on to become a professor of sociology. He has taught sociology and courses on multiculturalism for thirty years. He has been invited to give special presentations to students and faculty on racial and ethnic diversity in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas.Dr. Schaefer is the author ofRacial and Ethnic Groups, twelfth edition census update (Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011). Dr. Schaefer is the General Editorgeneral editor of the three-volumeEncyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity, and Society(2008). He is also the author of the twelfth edition ofSociology(2010), the eighth edition ofSociology: A Brief Introduction(2009), and the fourth edition ofSociology Matters(2008). Schaefer co-authored with William Zellner the eighth edition ofExtraordinary Groups(2008). His articles and book reviews have appeared in many journals, includingAmerican Journal of Sociology,Phylon: A Review of Race and Culture,Contemporary Sociology,Sociology and Social Research,Sociological Quarterly, andTeaching Sociology. He served as president of the Midwest Sociological Society from 1994 to 1995. In recognition of his achievements in undergraduate teaching, he was named Vincent de Paul Professor of Sociology in 2004.