Agnes Riedmann is Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Stanislaus. Her professional areas of interest are theory, family and the sociology of body image. Dr. Riedmann spent the 2008-09 academic year as a Fulbright Professor at the Graduate School for Social Research, affiliated with the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, where she taught courses in family, social policy and globalization. She is author of SCIENCE THAT COLONIZES: A CRITIQUE OF FERTILITY STUDIES IN AFRICA (Temple University Press, 1993). Dr. Riedmann attended Clarke College, Dubuque, received her bachelor's degree from Creighton University and earned her doctorate from the University of Nebraska.

Susan D. Stewart is a Professor in the Department of Sociology at Iowa State University. Her professional areas of interest are gender, family and demography -- specifically how complex living arrangements affect the physical and emotional health of adults and children. Her research has been supported by grants from the NICHD, USDA, Joint Center for Poverty Research and the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The author of BRAVE NEW STEPFAMILIES and CO-SLEEPING IN FAMILIES, Dr. Stewart has published papers on a diverse range of topics, including child and adolescent obesity, eating habits, nutrition, fertility intentions and behavior, child support and visitation, stepchild adoption and women's financial literacy. She received her doctorate in sociology from Bowling Green State University.