Gregory C Elliott

Broschiertes Buch

Family Matters

Beschreibung

Mattering--the sense that one makes a difference in the lives of others--is the most powerful motivator within the self-concept. Mattering is a fundamental safeguard that makes people aware of their connections to the larger social order; it gives evidence that we are integrated into society, and are free to pursue our goals knowing that we are not alone. The motivational impact of mattering is particularly pronounced in adolescence. During this time of personal upheaval, it is especially important to know that one matters to others; this knowledge serves as an anchor in this developmental stage of life. In this book, Gregory Elliott explores the effects of mattering to one's family on adolescent behavior. He presents evidence that those who feel that they matter to their families are much less likely to engage in anti-social or self-destructive behaviors and suggests how parents, teachers, and any significant others can help instill a sense of mattering in the lives of adolescents in their care. The clear understanding that they matter will help protect young people from the threats to wellbeing that are so prevalent in adolescence and will encourage them to navigate smoothly through these difficult years.

Autor

Gregory C. Elliott is Associate Professor of Sociology at Brown University. A social psychologist, his research focuses on the self and its relation to social systems. He teaches courses in social psychology, the self and society, and methods and statistics. He is a member of the American Psychological Association and the American Sociological Association. He has also been a Consultant for the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development. He has published numerous articles on mattering and the self in leading social psychology journals such as Social Psychology Quarterly and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Wiley
• Seitenzahl: 288
• Erscheinungstermin: 27. Januar 2009
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 15mm
• Gewicht: 404g
• ISBN-13: 9781405162432
• ISBN-10: 1405162430
• Artikelnr.: 25858483

Rezensionen

"I enjoyed reading Family Matters and the first researchfindings drawn from a large sample. The chapters summarizing whatmattering is and how it motivates behavior provide a nice overviewfor uninitiated readers...this book helps highlight a constructthat may be important for family researchers and hopefully willhelp encourage others to consider engaging in research to fill inthe many gaps in our knowledge about mattering." (Journal of FamilyTheory & Review, Autumn 2010)

"This book is recommended for social psychologists,sociologists, psychologists, and social workers. I found it thoughtprovoking and would like to see items on mattering added tolarge-scale surveys. Readers are likely to think of instances ofhow not mattering has

mattered in their own lives." (InternationalJournal of Sociology of the family, Autumn 2010)

"The book isclear, provocative, and well documented." (CHOICE, February2010)"Nothing may matter more for the healthy development of youngpeople than a belief that they matter: that they are valued byothers and that they can make meaningful contributions to theirworld. More so than any other book, Family Matters explainsthe crucial role of mattering in the lives of adolescents. GregoryElliott's unique, timely, and compelling scholarship hasvital implications for research and applications aimed at promotingpositive youth development, and is of profound importance forenhancing the quality of family life inAmerica."-Richard Lerner, Bergstrom Chair inApplied Developmental Science, Director of Institute for AppliedResearch in Youth Development, Eliot Pearson Department of ChildDevelopment, Tufts University

"This thoughtful and entertaining book introduces animportant new concept to the psychology of interpersonal relations.People need to eat and sleep, to love, and to belong, but they alsoneed to matter to others. Drawing from popular culture, personalexperience, and scientific research, Gregory Elliott has provided amarvelous introduction to understanding why matteringmatters."-Roy F. Baumeister, SocialPsychology Area Director and Francis Eppes Eminent Scholar, FloridaState University, and author of The Cultural Animal

"Elliott has given us a very important and timely book.Today's youth are in tremendous need of the opportunity tofeel like they matter. Elliott's analyses demonstrate theimportance of feeling like one matters to one's family forhealthy functioning during adolescence. He also provides us with astimulating theoretical discussion of the importance of matteringand the ways in which it is supported by social experience. Thisbook should be of great interest to parents, educators, policymakers, and researchers."-Jacquelynne Eccles,McKeachie Collegiate Professor of Psychology, Women'sStudies, and Education, University of Michigan