Social Importance of Self-Esteem
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20th century
america
american history
behavioral sciences
californians
Category=JBF
Category=JMS
child abuse
ego
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essay collection
modern issues
nonfiction essays
personal well being
problematic behavior
psychologists
public resources
self esteem
self regard
sense of self
social institutions
social problems
social responsibilities
social scientists
social stability
social welfare
society
sociological
teen pregnancy
thought provoking
welfare
well being
Product details
- ISBN 9780520067097
- Weight: 544g
- Dimensions: 152 x 229mm
- Publication Date: 15 Aug 1989
- Publisher: University of California Press
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Paperback
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Is the well-being of a society dependent on the well-being of its citizenry? Does individual self-esteem play a causal role in chronic social problems such as child abuse, school drop-out rates, teenage pregnancy, alcohol and drug abuse, welfare dependency? In an attempt to answer these questions, the State of California established a task force on self-esteem and social responsibility in 1987. The aim of this body was to determine what connections might exist between these two factors and to suggest policy guidelines relating to the welfare of Californians and to the expenditure of public resources. The ten essays in this volume, prepared by faculty members of the University of California, draw on research in the social and behavioral sciences to explore these issues. They assess the substantive assertions and research findings in the field and make careful evaluations of their reliability and validity. In many cases strong connections between self-esteem and problematic behavior are established, in others the connections are weak, and in some the causal relationship is, as yet, imperfectly understood.
One of the conclusions of the book is that research on these issues needs to be improved, particularly in the areas of comparative and longitudinal studies. Guidelines for future research are suggested, and some points of policy direction are elaborated. These essays may indeed promote additional research, for the premise that social stability and welfare are largely dependent on the psychological state of a people poses a challenging and provocative counter-emphasis to the assumption that social institutions are the primary determinants of individual welfare.
Andrew Mecca is Executive Director of the California Health Research Foundation. Neil J. Smelser is University Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. John Vasconcellos is a California State Assemblyman.
