Human Ecology TheoryBasic PremisesAssumptions:Assumptions (cont.)Underlying ValuesUnderlying Values (cont.)Consistency Between Family Ecology and Feminist TheorySummary of the Main Problems or QuestionsFigure 17-1: Family EcosystemHuman Ecological ConceptsHuman Ecological Concepts (cont.)Family Ecological ConceptsFamily Ecological Concepts (cont.)Limitations of the TheoryHuman Ecology Theory Bubolz, M. M., & Sontag, M. S. (1993). Human ecology theory. In P. G. Boss, W. J. Doherty, R. LaRossa, W. R. Schumm, & S. K. Steinmetz (Eds.), Sourcebook of family theories and methods: A contextual approach (pp. 419-448). New York: Plenum Press.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonBasic PremisesFamilies interact with their environment to form an ecosystem.Families carry out the following for the good of itself as well as the good of society:biological sustenance,economic maintenance,psychosocial and nurturance functions.All peoples of the world are interdependent on the resources of the earth: there is a balance betweencooperation and integration in the ecosystemwith demands of the individual for autonomy and freedom.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonAssumptions:Families and the environment are interdependent.Families are part of the total life system, so they are interdependent with other forms of life.Adaptation is a continuing process in families. They can “respond, change, develop, and act on and modify their environment.”All parts of the environment are interrelated and influence each other.Families interact with multiple environments.Families require matter-energy.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonAssumptions(cont.)Interactions between families and environments are guided by two sets of rules:Physical and biological laws of nature (e.g., laws of thermodynamics).Human-derived rules (e.g., social norms).Environments do not determine human behavior but pose limitations and constraints as well as possibilities and opportunities for families.Decision making is the central control process in families that directs actions for attaining individual and family goals.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonUnderlying ValuesSurvival: maintenance and sustainability are important features of life.“Four great virtues that contribute to the ‘ultimate good’”:economic adequacy,justice,freedom,peacefulness.Other virtues that contribute to the quality of life:health,education and learning,loving and nurturing relationships,productive work and work environments,experiences and symbolic systems that sustain meaning and a sense of community,beauty,trustworthiness.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonUnderlying Values(cont.)Scholars and practitioners, acting on these values, are expected to attend to the problems of groups and subcultures who lackpower,self-determination,and access to resources.Humans should be responsible to other living species and the nonliving environment.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonConsistency Between Family Ecology and Feminist TheoryHermeneutic (post-positivism) and critical science perspectives are necessary to gain valid knowledge and bring about change.Recognition of a plurality of family forms.Acknowledge the importance of sociohistorical and cultural context and environment.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonSummary of the Main Problems or QuestionsHow do families function and adapt toassure survival,improvement of quality of life,and sustain natural resources?How do families allocate and manage resources to meet the needs of individuals and the family as a group?How does environmental (e.g., meso-, exo-, and macrosystems) change influence human development?How can families and family professional contribute to the process of positive change? What should be done to enhance the quality of life while conserving the environment?Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonFigure 17-1: Family EcosystemNatural Physical-Biological EnvironmentFamilyHuman Built EnvironmentSocial-Cultural EnvironmentDr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonHuman Ecological ConceptsHuman ecosystem: Interaction between humans and their natural environment, includingphysical-biological,social-cultural,and human-built.Family ecosystem: family system interacting with its environment (see Figure 17-1).Environment: totality of surroundings and context. Surroundings includephysical,biological,social,economic,political,aesthetic,and structural.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonHuman Ecological Concepts(cont.)Adaptation:Behavior of living systems, including families, that changesthe state or structure of the system,the environment,or both.Adaptation is recursive: humans adapt to environment and change it.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonFamily Ecological ConceptsFamilyInclusive definition:Includes persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption.Also includes sets of interdependent but independent persons who sharecommon goals,common resources,and a commitment to each other.Family members are simultaneously autonomous and dependent.Needs: requirements for survival (e.g., sustenance).Values:Human conceptions about what is good, right, and worthwhileThey are an integral part of family processes.Management: comprehensive process to meet goals and realize valuesDr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonFamily Ecological Concepts (cont.)Decision-makingCentral cybernetic control system of family organization.The decision-making process involves:recognition of the need to make a decision;identification , evaluation, and comparison of alternatives;choice of alternative.Human development:Ongoing process of interrelated change in ability to perceive, conceptualize, and act.Development is dynamic.Development usually leads to greater levels of sophistication.Quality of human life: extent to which basic needs are met and values realized; synonymous with well-being.Quality of the environment:capacity for supplying human and non-human resources;and capacity for sustaining life and the non-human environment.Dr. Ronald J. Werner-WilsonLimitations of the TheoryAre systems concepts compatible with family ecology theory? Are mechanistic or biological principles generalizable to human and family systems?Is it too broad and inclusive?New constructs may create confusion or redundancy.Are the concepts too