Thomas S. Henricks is an American academic who served as the J. Earl Danieley Professor of Sociology and Distinguished University Professor at Elon University. His research focuses on social theory, modernization and change,

popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...

social stratification Social stratification refers to a society's categorization of its people into groups based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or derived power (social and political). As ...

, race and ethnic relations, and the

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

of play, games and sport. The son of a college professor and a writer, Henricks grew up in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

and attended North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, where he received his B.A. in

and

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

. After graduating, Henricks worked for two years as a social worker with the Department of Public Aid in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. He then attended the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

where he received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in sociology. After teaching for a year at the University of Indianapolis, Henricks joined the Elon University faculty in 1977. In 1990, he received the University’s Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 1997, he was appointed Elon’s first J. Earl Danieley Professor. In fall 2003, Henricks was named Distinguished University Professor. He retired in 2018. Henricks' books include: *''Play and the Human Condition'' (2015) *''Selves, Societies, and Emotions: Understanding the Pathways of Experience'' (2012) *''Play Reconsidered'' (2006) *''Disputed Pleasures: Sport and Society in Preindustrial England'' (1991) Henricks has been noted for his explanations of the role of football in 16th century England. Henricks also writes a blog titled "The Pathways of Experience” for

Psychology Today ''Psychology Today'' is an American media organization with a focus on psychology and human behavior. It began as a bimonthly magazine, which first appeared in 1967. The ''Psychology Today'' website features therapy and health professionals direct ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henricks, Thomas S. American male non-fiction writers American non-fiction writers Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Elon University faculty American sociologists University of Chicago alumni