Laurence "Larry" Basirico earned his BA in sociology from Hofstra University (1972) and his MA (1974) and PhD (1983) at Stony Brook University. He is professor of sociology at Elon University where he has been since 1983. He was chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology from 1994 to 2004 and resumed his role as department chair in 2009. Dr. Basirico’s research primarily has been in the areas of social interaction, identity, socialization, the family and culture—as applied specifically to rock groups, arts and crafts communities, family reunions, and marital relationships. His major teaching areas are introduction to sociology, self and society, and the family. Dr. Basirico was also dean of international programs at Elon for five years (2004 to 2009), spearheading one of the most successful study abroad programs in the United States and overseeing efforts to internationalize the campus. While he was dean, Elon won the prestigious Paul Simon Internationalization of the Campus Award, the highest award given by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. In 1988, he joined forces with J. Ross Eshleman and Barbara G. Cashion to write Sociology: An Introduction (Scott Foresman, Little Brown, and then with HarperCollins Publisher), the precursor for this textbook. That book was one of the first sociology textbooks that focused on how students could apply sociology in their lives. He assumed primary responsibility for Introduction to Sociology with BVT Publishing beginning with the 4th edition. Dr. Basirico is married with three children and lives in Burlington, North Carolina. He is a lifelong music lover and learner dedicated primarily to guitar these days, but with a background in piano. He regularly walks around golf courses chasing a little white ball into never-before-seen natural habitats.

Barbara G. Cashion received her PhD from the University of Maryland and taught at a variety of universities, including Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. She has special interest in the sociology of medicine and has worked in group health insurance settings at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and in the pharmaceutical field.

Dr. Cashion has published on related topics in a variety of journals. She is currently retired from teaching and is living in Hagerstown, Maryland. There she continues to develop her interests in music and fine arts, especially in the sociology of American art. Dr. Cashion has two daughters and four grandchildren.

J. Ross Eshleman, PhD, received his doctorate from Ohio State University and is now professor emeritus at Wayne State University. His past teaching experience includes serving as department chair of sociology at Wayne State University and Appalachian State University, two Fulbright grants to the Philippines at the University of Santo Tomas and De La Salle College, a year with the National Science Foundation, and two university teaching awards.

Dr. Eshleman has directed five institutes for teachers of high school sociology with grants through the National Science Foundation. His publications include numerous editions (ten of his own and two co-authored) of a sociology of the family text.