Making Human Beings Human: Bioecological Perspectives on Human Development

by Urie Bronfenbrenner (Editor)

"Making Human Beings Human tells the remarkable scientific story of Urie Bronfenbrenner′s journey toward ′a bioecology of human development′- a dynamic perspective of individuals in ever-changing, multi-level contexts. Building upon years of distinguished teaching and research at Cornell, the author skillfully weaves each part of his story together, highlighting the puzzles and fresh insights that enhance understanding. This is a marvelous book to read and cherish from one of our giants in the field of human development."

-Glen H. Elder, University of North Carolina

"This volume is a remarkable compilation of several critical writings of one of the most influential developmental psychologists of the 20th, and now 21st, century. Making Human Beings Human is an essential reader for all students of human development, whether they are undergraduates, graduate students, teachers, practitioners, or policy makers. . . . To read this book is to be a passenger on an exhilarating six-decade-long journey of discovery which, for those interested in the landscape of human development, is every bit as exciting as a Lewis and Clark expedition."

-John Eckenrode, Cornell University

To a greater extent than any other species, human beings create the environments that, in turn, shape their own development. Given this, Making Human Beings Bioecological Perspectives on Human Development endeavors to demonstrate that human beings can also develop those environments to optimize their most constructive genetic potentials. What makes human beings human, therefore, is both the potential to shape their world in intricate physical, social, technological, and cultural ways and the possibility that these actions will nurture positive development.

Making Human Beings Human is a landmark collection that traces and summarizes Urie Bronfenbrenner′s thoughts on the bioecological theory of human development and recommends avenues for future research. The majority of the twenty-three retrospective articles were written by Bronfenbrenner, while some were written with colleagues in his own or related fields, over the course of six decades. The book′s articles document the domain of inquiry that has emerged gradually over many years and has now acquired a title of its own-the bioecological theory of human development.

The book is rich in cultural and historical comparisons, and the concepts of the bioecological model and the ecology of human development represent a unique contribution to the field of developmental psychology. As a co-founder of the Head Start program, Bronfenbrenner has played a major role in shaping many educational and public policies; therefore the book emphasizes social context within the bioecological theory.

Making Human Beings Human is a culminating work by a prominent figure in the field of human development and will help to shape the future of the field. It is an invaluable resource for every developmental psychologist, educator, and public policy individual involved with families and education. The book is also an excellent supplementary text for courses in Psychology, Family Studies and Human Development, Human Ecology, Education, and Public Policy.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Human Development, Reference, Sociology

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner was a Russian-born American psychologist and academic best known for his ecological systems theory.

Professor Bronfenbrenner received a bachelor's degree in psychology and music from Cornell University in 1938.
He earned a master's in education from Harvard in 1940, and a doctorate in developmental psychology from the University of Michigan in 1942. He served as a psychologist in various military units during World War II. His daughter, Dr. Kate Bronfenbrenner, followed him into academia and is a well known labor relations scholar.

Reviews

[Michael Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for my Developmental Psychology course. The book is a series of papers that Bronfenbrenner wrote during the course of his career. His research is quite interesting: that we are both affected by our environment and affect our environment. We truly do have the capability to design the life we want to live by being selective about with who and where we spend our time.

[Patrick Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this for a developmental psychology class I am taking. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I did learn some things. Since it approaches developmental psychology almost entirely through Bronfenbrenner's essays, it is both very repetitive and somewhat limited in perspective. It's also undeniably dated, sometimes hilariously so (comparisons between the US and other countries include the Soviet Union and East Germany). Still, I learned enough from this book for it to merit three stars.

[danielle; ▵ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough. A bit meta, as it talks more about the process of studying behavioral psychology than behavioral psychology itself.

[Mills College Library]

155.9 M2355 2005