Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective (with InfoTrac) [Hardcover]

Jose B. Ashford (Author), Craig Winston LeCroy (Author), Kathy L. Lortie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 19, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0534642764 | ISBN-13: 978-0534642761 | Edition: 3

Ashford, LeCroy, and Lortie's ground-breaking book offers students a balanced, integrated introduction to human behavior in the social environment. Lively and comprehensive, this book succeeds by helping students connect foundation knowledge with practice concerns. Clarified through the introduction of study tables and concept maps (at the end of each discussion behavior in the development chapters), the authors look at biopsychosocial development across the life span using an integrative multidimensional approach, discussing integrative practice, theory, treatment, and services throughout. This multidimensional framework provides a concrete tool for the reader to assess human behavior from a perspective that truly reflects the values and knowledge base of the social work profession. Together, the book's solid coverage of foundation knowledge, integration of the biopsychosocial dimensions for assessing social functioning, its multidimensional framework, and its use of case studies to illuminate the applied aspects of HBSE content--along with the authors' consistent attention to diversity--successfully combine to give readers a meaningful, exciting experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A key strength of this text is the breadth of topics covered. In addition, the authors link theory, research, and practice in a way that allows students to understand their interrelatedness. I anticipate using the text in the future because it provides a nice overview of human behavior at different life stages within the context of a multidimensional assessment."

"I offered my students a bounty of 10 points on their HBSE exam for finding errors, problems, lack of clarity, need for additional information etc in their text, No one has collected on the reward. Students and faculty like the book."

"The enduring strength of this text, which is only enhanced by such additions as the concept maps (CHARTS?) and study charts , is its ability to link theory and research with social work practice. The bio--psycho-social framework which is practically applied in the various case examples provides for students a realistic example of how to organize what they have learned in to a framework for assessment in practice. We are in a practice profession. For me, theory and research provides the foundation for building our assessments and interventions with client systems of all sizes. This book provides that foundation."

About the Author

José Ashford teaches the human behavior course in the department of Social Work at Arizona State University and serves as a professor of social science and law in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in Justice Studies. He is currently the principle investigator for the Family Drug courts grant, funded by the governor's Division of Drug Policy. He is widely published in areas dealing with the assessment, classification, and treatment of special need offenders, juvenile aftercare, and forensic social work. Professor Ashford testifies across the country as an expert in the assessment of mitigating factors in capital murder cases.

Craig Winston LeCroy is a professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. Dr. LeCroy has directed several projects for children and adolescents, including a National Institute of Mental Health Training Grant for emotionally disturbed children and adolescents; Youth Plus: Positive Socialization for Youth, a substance abuse prevention project; and a primary prevention program for adolescent girls. Professor LeCroy has published widely in the areas of children's mental health, social skills training, risk and needs assessment with juvenile offenders, and adolescent treatment and program evaluation.

Kathy L. Lortie is a school social work with the Tucson Unified School District. She was previously a pediatric social worker at University Medical Center, University of Arizona, Health Sciences Center. She co-teaches Social Work in Health Care, a graduate course at Arizona State University. A certified childbirth educator, she has taught classes on childbirth, parenting, and infant care and has worked as a labor assistant. She is also the author of SPECIAL DELIVERY: A LABOR GUIDE FOR EXPECTANT PARENTS. Her current interests include child abuse prevention, infant mental health, school social work, and coping with chronic illness in adolescence. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 697 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 3 edition (July 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534642764
• ISBN-13: 978-0534642761
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #261,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very poor text book, December 2, 2004

By 

Sean Davis (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective (with InfoTrac) (Hardcover)

I'm in a MSW program and this text book was part of the reading material. For a text book, its poorly written. The book jumps from topic to topic and does not have a clear flow from one subject to anouther. Items are misplaced and the information is difficult to find. In my class of 25 student there was no one who was happy with this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Needs an editor, January 18, 2008

By 

C. Hazan (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective (with InfoTrac) (Hardcover)

I had the misfortune of having to read this book in a Human Development course. This textbook is wordy, redundant, and overflowing with irrelevant detail. The writing is incomprehensible. There is a crippling lack of focus which defeats the purpose of any text--to guide a student through relevant material. A good editor would have rejected this book outright, or at least have gotten out a big pack of red pens!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The only textbook I've ever enjoyed, October 10, 2006

By 

Russell H. Dibble (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Multidimensional Perspective (with InfoTrac) (Hardcover)

I'm a first-semester MSW student. I don't have a background in social work or the social sciences, so I may be way off when I say that this is the most informative textbook that I've ever read. (Mind you, I'd stil rather be reading something by Howard Zinn or Jared Diamind.) Every page teaches me something new. If it has organizational problems, I haven't noticed, because reading it is so engrossing.