Richard T. Schaefer grew 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 being 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 and now teaches at DePaul University in Chicago. In 2004, he was named to the Vincent de Paul Professorship in recognition of his undergraduate teaching and scholarship. He has taught sociology and courses on multiculturalism for 30 years. He has been invited to give special presentations to students and faculty on racial and ethnic diversity in Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas.
Dr. Schaefer is author of Racial and Ethnic Groups, Ninth Edition (2004 Prentice Hall). Dr. Schaefer is also the author of the ninth edition of Sociology (2005), Sociology Matters (2004), and the fifth edition of Sociology: A Brief Introduction (2004). His articles and book reviews have appeared in many journals, including American Journal of Sociology, Phylon: A Review of Race and Culture, Contemporary Sociology, Sociology and Social Research, Sociological Quarterly, and Teaching Sociology. He served as president of the Midwest Sociological Society from 1994-1995.
