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Dimensions of Human Behavior
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Dimensions of Human Behavior
The Changing Life Course

Sixth Edition


October 2018 | 536 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

Updated Edition of a Best Seller!

Dimensions of Human Behavior: The Changing Life Course presents a current and comprehensive examination of human behavior across time using a multidimensional framework. Author Elizabeth D. Hutchison explores both the predictable and unpredictable changes that can affect human behavior through all the major developmental stages of the life course, from conception to very late adulthood. Aligned with the 2015 curriculum guidelines set forth by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the Sixth Edition has been substantially updated with contemporary issues related to gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, and social class and disability across the lifespan.

The companion volume, Dimensions of Human Behavior: Person and Environment, Sixth Edition, examines the dimensions of person and environment and their impact on individual and collective behavior. Instructors – save your students 25% when you bundle the two texts (Bundle ISBN 978-1-5443-5612-9) for the most comprehensive coverage available for Human Behavior courses.


 
Case Studies
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
Chapter 1. A Life Course Perspective
Chapter Outline

 
Learning Objectives

 
The Life Course Perspective and Social Work Practice

 
Theoretical Roots of the Life Course Perspective

 
Basic Concepts of the Life Course Perspective

 
Major Themes of the Life Course Perspective

 
Strengths and Limitations of the Life Course Perspective

 
Integration With a Multidimensional, Multitheoretical Approach

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

 
Key Terms

 
Active Learning

 
Web Resources

 
 
Chapter 2. Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth
Chapter Outline

 
Learning Objectives

 
Sociocultural Organization of Childbearing

 
Reproductive Genetics

 
Control Over Conception and Pregnancy

 
Fetal Development

 
Pregnancy and the Life Course

 
At-Risk Newborns

 
Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth Under Different Circumstances

 
Risk and Protective Factors in Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

 
Key Terms

 
Active Learning

 
Web Resources

 
 
Chapter 3. Infancy and Toddlerhood
Chapter Outline

 
Learning Objectives

 
Developmental Niche and Typical Infant and Toddler Development

 
Physical Development

 
Cognitive Development

 
Socioemotional Development

 
The Role of Play

 
Developmental Disruptions

 
Childcare Arrangements in Infancy and Toddlerhood

 
Infants and Toddlers in the Multigenerational Family

 
Risks to Healthy Infant and Toddler Development

 
Protective Factors in Infancy and Toddlerhood

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

 
Key Terms

 
Active Learning

 
Web Resources

 
 
Chapter 4. Early Childhood
Chapter Outline

 
Learning Objectives

 
Typical Development in Early Childhood

 
Early Childhood Education

 
Early Childhood in the Multigenerational Family

 
Risks to Healthy Development in Early Childhood

 
Protective Factors in Early Childhood

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

 
Key Terms

 
Active Learning

 
Web Resources

 
 
Chapter 5. Middle Childhood
Chapter Outline

 
Learning Objectives

 
Historical Perspective on Middle Childhood

 
Middle Childhood in the Multigenerational Family

 
Development in Middle Childhood

 
Spiritual Development

 
Middle Childhood and Formal Schooling

 
Special Challenges in Middle Childhood

 
Risk Factors and Protective Factors in Middle Childhood

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

 
Key Terms

 
Active Learning

 
Web Resources

 
 
Chapter 6. Adolescence
Chapter Outline

 
Learning Objectives

 
The Social Construction of Adolescence Across Time and Space

 
The Transition From Childhood to Adulthood

 
Biological Aspects of Adolescence

 
Psychological Aspects of Adolescence

 
Social Aspects of Adolescence

 
Adolescent Spirituality/Religiosity

 
Adolescent Sexuality

 
Potential Challenges to Adolescent Development

 
Social Work Grand Challenge: Ensure Healthy Development for All Youth

 
Risk Factors and Protective Factors in Adolescence

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

 
Key Terms

 
Active Learning

 
Web Resources

 
 
Chapter 7. Young Adulthood
Chapter Outline

 
Learning Objectives

 
A Definition of Young Adulthood

 
Theoretical Approaches to Young Adulthood

 
Physical Functioning in Young Adulthood

 
The Psychological Self

 
Social Development and Social Functioning

 
Risk Factors and Protective Factors in Young Adulthood

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

Marcia Harrigan, Suzanne Baldwin
Key Terms

Debra Woody, Elizabeth Hutchison
Active Learning

Debra Woody, David Woody
Web Resources

Leanne Charlesworth
Holly Matto
Chapter 8. Middle Adulthood
Chapter Outline

Matthias Naleppa, Kristina Hash
Learning Objectives

Pamela Kovacs, Annemarie Conlon
The Changing Social Construction of Middle Adulthood

Susan McCarter
Theories of Middle Adulthood

 
Biological Changes and Physical and Mental Health in Middle Adulthood

 
Intellectual Changes in Middle Adulthood

 
Personality Changes in Middle Adulthood

 
Spiritual Development in Middle Adulthood

 
Relationships in Middle Adulthood

 
Work in Middle Adulthood

 
Risk Factors and Protective Factors in Middle Adulthood

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

 
Key Terms

 
Active Learning

 
Web Resources

 
 
Chapter 9. Late Adulthood
Chapter Outline

 
Learning Objectives

 
Demographics of the Older Population

 
Diversity of the Late-Adult Population

 
Cultural Construction of Late Adulthood

 
Psychosocial Theoretical Perspectives on Social Gerontology

 
Biological Changes in Late Adulthood

 
Psychological Changes in Late Adulthood

 
Social Role Transitions and Life Events of Late Adulthood

 
The Search for Personal Meaning

 
Resources for Meeting the Needs of Elderly Persons

 
Technology and the Late-Adult Population

 
Risk Factors and Protective Factors in Middle Adulthood

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

 
Key Terms

 
Active Learning

 
Web Resources

 
 
Chapter 10. Very Late Adulthood
Chapter Outline

 
Learning Objectives

 
Very Late Adulthood: Charting New Territory

 
Very Late Adulthood in Historical and Cultural Perspective

 
What We Can Learn From Centenarians

 
Functional Capacity in Very Late Adulthood

 
Relationships in Very Late Adulthood

 
The Housing Continuum

 
Spirituality in Very Late Adulthood

 
The Dying Process

 
Loss, Grief, and Bereavement

 
The Life Course Completed

 
Implications for Social Work Practice

 
Key Terms

 
Active Learning

 
Web Resources

 
 
References
 
Glossary
 
Index
 
About the Author
 
About the Contributors

Supplements

Instructor Teaching Site

SAGE edge for instructors supports teaching by making it easy to integrate quality content and create a rich learning environment for students.

  • Test banks provide a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity to edit any question and/or insert your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding.
  • Editable chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides offer complete flexibility for creating a multimedia presentation for one’s course.
  • Exclusive access to full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter.
  • Lecture notes that summarize key concepts on a chapter-by-chapter basis to help you with preparation for lectures and class discussions
  • Multimedia content including audio and video resources are available for use in independent or classroom-based explorations of key topics.
  • Class activities for individual or group projects reinforce active learning.
  • Discussion questions help launch classroom interaction by prompting students to engage with the material and by reinforcing important content. 
  • Course cartridges allow for easy LMS integration.
Student Study Site

SAGE edge for students provides a personalized approach to help students accomplish their coursework goals in an easy-to-use learning environment.

  • Mobile-friendly eFlashcards strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts.
  • Mobile-friendly practice quizzes allow for independent assessment by students of their mastery of course material.
  • Learning objectives reinforce the most important material.
  • Exclusive access to full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected support and expand on the concepts presented in each chapter.
  • Video and multimedia resources tied to learning objectives that bring concepts to life, making learning easier

“This is the most comprehensive and succinct reference to human development across the life span. It is an excellent reference for human behavior specialists and provides timeless information that can be accessed for a more comprehensive assessment of children/family.”

Rosalind Corbett
San Diego State University

“This book is very well written, superbly informative, user-friendly, and replete with invaluable student and instructor resources. I would recommend it, unconditionally, to anyone teaching undergraduate HBSE.”

Roger Delgado
California State University, Los Angeles

“This is a well-written book about all of the facets of human behavior—something everyone is advised to know about. With each edition, I find that the content is thoroughly updated and its multiculturalism is increasingly expanded, making this an exceptional text.” 

Rose M. Perez
Fordham University

“The perfect textbook—it covers everything in a simple and straightforward way and gives social work students the introduction to understanding theory that they can then learn in depth in advanced courses.”

Ilze Earner
Hunter College, The City University of New York

“I just love this book! It is meticulously put together in a way that helps the reader understand every dimensional aspect of a person based on time. This book is very in-depth with explaining the basic concepts and reiterates them through the use of cases. I appreciate the implications for social work being implemented in each chapter.”

Annalease M. M. Gibson
Albany State University

It is a good comprehensive overview of human development over the life span

Marji Edguer
Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve Univ
May 24, 2022

This textbook provides relevant and comprehensible content for learning at the undergraduate level. It provides a logical flow of material that advances the student critical thinking process throughout each chapter. My students appreciated the case scenarios that gave a real life context to the concepts and ideas presented in each chapter. Additionally, the chapter discussion questions, exercises, and PowerPoint lectures helped me design and facilitate a dynamic learning experience for students.

Dr Sherece Shavel
School Of Social Work, University Of Texas-Arlington
May 27, 2021

BSW adopted this book

Professor Soonhee Roh
Social Work Dept, University Of South Dakota
August 25, 2020
Key features
NEW AND KEY FEATURES:
  • Revised case studies reflect contemporary issues in rich detail and help readers connect theoretical and empirical content to real-life situations social workers face.
  • Expanded content includes:

o    the impact of information, communication, and medical technologies on human behavior in every phase of life

    • traumatic stress and childhood trauma
    • new developments in neuroscience, including the neuroscience of emotions
    • gender identity and gender expression
  • Learning objectives added to each chapter identify for readers what will be learned from chapter content.
  • New exhibits help visual learners better understand complex content with succinct summaries.
  • Key terms appear in bold type within chapters and are defined in the Glossary for easy reference.
  • Critical thinking questions and active learning exercises stimulate students to reflect on and engage with the material.


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