Human Behaviour in the Social Environment
Introduction
The article’s main social concern is to examine prevention and intervention methods and their subsequent impact on family poverty and children’s mental, emotional and behavioral health. As a conceptual framework, Yoshikawa, Aber and Beardslee (2012), tackle four aspects of poverty, the family and child as the main subjects or selection factors, the multidimensional nature of poverty, the mechanisms through which poverty effects children on an individual, relational and institutional level, and the multidimensionality of children’s outcomes. The authors used two types of interventions. The first set of interventions were advanced by experts in child and family development, targeting the mediating mechanisms such as socioemotional learning processes, delivered by teachers and parenting skills, focusing on parental mental health, cognitive stimulation, in order to prevent M-E-B problems among poor children. The second sets of interventions were, based on strategies developed by economist and policy experts, aimed at reducing poverty itself. Based on multiple research findings, the authors are able to prove a causal effect between poverty and the negative impact on M-E-B health of children (Yoshikawa et al., 2012).
Critical Application of Theory to Social Concerns or Human Behavior The issues of poverty are complex. Therefore a comprehensive approach is necessary in examining poverty’s effects on children’s M-E-B health. Using concepts from systems theory and ecological perspective, one can examine the many different systems that interact, and directly or indirectly influence the M-E-B health of the child at-risk.
Ludwig von Bertalanffy, developed general systems theory in the early 1920s, it underwent many iterations over the years and is now referred to as dynamic systems theory or systems theory (Zaastrow & Kirst-Ashmas, 2009). A system is a complex whole comprised of parts that work together in an orderly way, toward the achievement of a
The article’s main social concern is to examine prevention and intervention methods and their subsequent impact on family poverty and children’s mental, emotional and behavioral health. As a conceptual framework, Yoshikawa, Aber and Beardslee (2012), tackle four aspects of poverty, the family and child as the main subjects or selection factors, the multidimensional nature of poverty, the mechanisms through which poverty effects children on an individual, relational and institutional level, and the multidimensionality of children’s outcomes. The authors used two types of interventions. The first set of interventions were advanced by experts in child and family development, targeting the mediating mechanisms such as socioemotional learning processes, delivered by teachers and parenting skills, focusing on parental mental health, cognitive stimulation, in order to prevent M-E-B problems among poor children. The second sets of interventions were, based on strategies developed by economist and policy experts, aimed at reducing poverty itself. Based on multiple research findings, the authors are able to prove a causal effect between poverty and the negative impact on M-E-B health of children (Yoshikawa et al., 2012).
Critical Application of Theory to Social Concerns or Human Behavior The issues of poverty are complex. Therefore a comprehensive approach is necessary in examining poverty’s effects on children’s M-E-B health. Using concepts from systems theory and ecological perspective, one can examine the many different systems that interact, and directly or indirectly influence the M-E-B health of the child at-risk.
Ludwig von Bertalanffy, developed general systems theory in the early 1920s, it underwent many iterations over the years and is now referred to as dynamic systems theory or systems theory (Zaastrow & Kirst-Ashmas, 2009). A system is a complex whole comprised of parts that work together in an orderly way, toward the achievement of a
References: Dehoys, G. & Jensen, C. (1985). The systems approach in American social work. Social Casework, 66, 490-497. Germain, C.B (1973). An ecological perspective in casework practice. Social Casework, 54(6),323-331. Greene, R. (1999). Ecological perspective: An eclectic theoretical framework for social work practice (2nd Ed.) Robbins, S. P., Chatterjee, P. & Canda E. R., (2012). Contemporary human behavior theory. A critical perspective for Social Work (3rd Ed.) Zasrtrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashmas, K. K., (2009). Understanding human behavior in the social environment. Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning