Dr. James M. Henslin, who was born in Minnesota, graduated from high school and junior college in California and from college in Indiana. Awarded scholarships, he earned his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. After this, James was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health, and spent a year studying how people adjust to the suicide of a family member. His primary interests in sociology are the sociology of everyday life, international relations and deviance. Dr. Henslin has also published widely in sociology journals, including American Journal of Sociology and Social Problems.

After completing his doctorate, James joined the faculty at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, where he is Professor Emeritus of Sociology. James enjoys fishing and reading. He especially enjoys visiting and living in other cultures, for this brings him face to face with behaviors and ways of thinking that he cannot take for granted, experiences that “make sociological principles come alive.”