Chapter 1 Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Exploring Conceptual Foundations

1. Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Theories for Social Work Practice Bruce A. Thyer, Catherine N. Dulmus, and Karen M. Sowers, Editors Chapter 1 Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Exploring Conceptual Foundations by Susan I. Stone, Yolanda Anyon, Stephanie Berzin, Sarah Taylor, and Michael J. Austin Social work makes extensive use of “middle-range theories” domain-specific explanations for limited areas of practice. Examples might be theories related to child abuse and neglect, addictions, poverty, sexual violence, and mental disorders. Using an array of middle-range theories enables the profession to draw on pluralistic accounts from many perspectives, which is seen as useful because there are few potential universal or all-encompassing theories capable of yielding explanatory accounts across the diverse scope of social work practice. But sometimes middle-range theories are based on very different and sometimes contradictory concepts, which resists conceptual integration.

2. Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Theories for Social Work Practice Bruce A. Thyer, Catherine N. Dulmus, and Karen M. Sowers, Editors Chapter 1 – HBSE – Exploring Conceptual Foundations Social work theories can look primarily at Persons (e.g., individuals, families, small groups, organizations, or communities), or the Environment (e.g., the physical environment, the material environment, the social environment), or Persons and their Environments, as in Person as Context, where one’s individual attributes shape his or her behavior and environment. Person of Context, where one’s development and behavior are shaped by the settings in which is person is imbedded. Person in Context, which elaborates on the developmental or situational constraints under which a particular behavior or set of behaviors occurs.

3. Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Theories for Social Work Practice Bruce A. Thyer, Catherine N. Dulmus, and Karen M. Sowers, Editors Chapter 1 – HBSE – Exploring Conceptual Foundations Many theories used in social work represent life cycle or stage theories, predictable developmental stages individuals or families experience over time. Some life-course approaches focus primarily on one stage of life, e.g., infancy, childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. Other theories are said to be system theories, approaches which take a more macro view of human behavior, examining the influence of one’s community, culture, or organizations influence human action. Another set of HBSE theories consists of non-stage or life-cycle approaches, views which go not view time or development as the lens to view behavioral development, in favor of central processes which are present more or less throughout life. Examples include respondent theory, operant theory, cognitive-behavioral, ecosystems, etc. These may have both micro and macro applications.

4. Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Theories for Social Work Practice Bruce A. Thyer, Catherine N. Dulmus, and Karen M. Sowers, Editors Chapter 1 – HBSE – Exploring Conceptual Foundations Other approaches to understanding HBSE include Cultural Theories – human development is seen as the process of people’s continued and changing participation in socio-cultural activities. Social Capital Theory – emphasizes the role of social resources in promoting human growth and development, resources primarily relating to human relationships characterized by networks, trust and reciprocity. Neighborhood Effects – emphasizes the role of neighborhood structures, processes (norms, competition, socialization), and peer-influences have on an individual’s behavior. Institutional Theory – stresses the role of societal context in understanding individual and organizational behavior.

5. Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Theories for Social Work Practice Bruce A. Thyer, Catherine N. Dulmus, and Karen M. Sowers, Editors Chapter 1 – HBSE – Exploring Conceptual Foundations Systems theory, based in group dynamics, community, and organizational theories, is widely written about in the social work literature. Systems theory makes use of supposedly universal concepts such as interactions (within and between groups), subsystems that are part of a larger system (e.g., voluntary and governmental organizations), and functions and patterns (e.g., production and consumption, socialization, social control, social participation, and mutual support). Systems theory makes broad use of the concepts of structure (the arrangement and mutual relationship of the constituent parts to the whole), and process (a continuous series of actions, events or changes that are directed toward some end and/or performed in a specific manner).