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CHOICE Review

When Urie Bronfenbrenner wrote the basic theoretical text in ecological psychology (The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design, CH, Nov '79), he used some of Kurt Lewin's concepts and extended the work of scholars like Roger G. Barker (Ecological Psychology, 1968) to provide a powerful approach to the study of developing individuals in social contexts. The examination of the relationships within and among settings, and how these settings are perceived by the people upon whom they have an impact and the focus on process as well as outcomes, are effectively continued by the authors in this volume. Originally delivered as part of a conference in Victoria, British Columbia, these papers are diverse and fascinating examples of the uses of this conceptual framework and methodology. From James P. Anglin's analysis of the meaning of questionnaires for the subjects taking them to Brian Wharf's penetrating discussion of the public policy implications and implementations, each chapter offers useful information and sophisticated insights. These demonstrations of the paradigm in action are enriched by the different Canadian and American settings. This is not a book for novices or undergraduates. The best introduction to the ecological perspective, other than Bronfenbrenner's, is James Garbarino's Children and Families in the Social Environment (1982). For the serious scholar and researcher, however, the present work is an important addition to the field. S. Sugarman Bennington College