John Carl's interest in sociology grew from his interests and job experiences after college, which included working in hospitals, schools, churches and prisons. John reflects, “In these many diverse encounters I continued to notice how often the structures of society often did not support the change so desperately sought after by the individual. I began to reflect on my sociology courses from my undergraduate work and decided to return to graduate school to study sociology.”

Returning to graduate school at the University of Oklahoma, he became passionate about the study of Criminology and Stratification completing his Ph.D. while teaching full time at Rose State College. John says, “I found that every part of my life to this point, fit perfectly with the study of sociology. It is a diverse and exciting field that helps a person understand their world.”

Today, teaching remains his primary focus. John Carl has excelled in the classroom, winning awards for his teaching and working to build and improve the sociology program at Rose State. “I teach the introductory class every semester because I believe it is the most important course in any department. It is where students get the foundation they need for their continued study of sociology. In these classes, my goal is simple. To teach students to think sociologically so that they can consider any new event in the light of that thought.”

When asked why he wrote Think Sociology, the answer was simple: “This book is truly a labor of love for me. I wanted to write a book that is filled with examples used in the classroom and written in a language that students can understand without compromising the core concepts of sociology."

John lives in Oklahoma with his family, wife Keven, and daughters Sara and Caroline. In his free time, John plays golf, gardens, throws pottery, and plays his guitar. He continues to move from the classroom to community by being active in non-profit leadership in his home community and providing training to non-profit boards so they may better achieve their goals. John suggests, “It is all part of sociology, not only to understand the world in which we live, but to take that understanding from the classroom and use it to improve the community.”