Human Behavior in the Social Environment : A Macro, National, and International Perspective

Abstract

As a macro HBSE textbook, this book’s primary focus is social institutions, organizations, and communities. The introductory chapter, Chapter 1, provides a foundation by defining social work, social environment, and human needs. It explains why human needs exist and what causes human needs. Additionally, this chapter discusses human needs in the international communities, particularly those extremely poor communities wracked by considerable human rights violations, as defined by the United Nations. At the end of the chapter is the conceptual framework that I have identified as world systems theory. Overall, the book is grounded in world systems theory as it provides, in part, an understanding of core, semiperiphery, and periphery societies, which one researcher has applied to communities and the extent to which communities are core, semiperiphery, and periphery communities. Chapter 2 discusses human needs in more depth, particularly those caused by poverty, race, gender, natural disasters, violence, crime, ethnic cleansings and genocide, and wars. Also, natural disasters are discussed as they have a serious impact on human needs and communities, such as Hurricane Katrina’s impact on the New Orleans communities and the mental health impact on residents. Chapter 3 discusses a number of theories that explain macro HBSE, including social systems theory, community theory, social disorganization theory, routine activity theory, migration theory, inequality theory, feminist theory, power theory and social independence theory, social learning theory, reference group theory, role theory, and Black’s theory of law. These theories are loosely grouped as community theories, human conduct theories, inequality theories, and group theories. Chapters 4 and 5 contain discussions of social institutions, including the family, education, religion, medicine and health, the news media, and law. Chapter 6 discusses organizations and their impact, good and bad, on human needs. Chapter 7 discusses urban communities, and Chapter 8 discusses rural communities. Last, Chapter 9 has discussions about several developing countries.