Family Matters The Importance of Mattering to Family in Adolescence
Produktdetaljer
Biografisk notat
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."I enjoyed reading <i>Family Matters</i> and the first research findings drawn from a large sample. The chapters summarizing what mattering is and how it motivates behavior provide a nice overview for uninitiated readers...this book helps highlight a construct that may be important for family researchers and hopefully will help encourage others to consider engaging in research to fill in the many gaps in our knowledge about mattering." (Journal of Family Theory & Review, Autumn 2010)<br /> <br /> <p>"This book is recommended for social psychologists, sociologists, psychologists, and social workers. I found it thought provoking and would like to see items on mattering added to large-scale surveys. Readers are likely to think of instances of how not mattering has mattered in their own lives." (International Journal of Sociology of the family, Autumn 2010) </p> <p>“The book is clear, provocative, and well documented.” (CHOICE, February 2010)</p>
- Defines mattering and distinguishes among the three ways that people can matter to others: awareness, importance, and reliance
- Utilizes empirical evidence from a quantitative analyses of data from a nationwide survey 2,004 adolescents to support author’s assertions
- Explores the impact of structural and demographic factors such as family structure in developing of a sense of mattering in adolescents.
- Includes helpful indices, including his Mattering Index and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Index
- Suggests how parents, teachers, and other significant people in the lives of adolescents can work to instill a sense of mattering in those under their care
Acknowledgments.
1 What Does it Mean to Matter?.
2 Mattering Matters.
3 Researching Mattering: An Overview.
4 Mattering and Anti-Social Behavior.
5 Mattering and Self-Destructive Behavior.
6 Inducing Mattering.
Appendix: Researching Mattering: A Scientific View.
References.
Index
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.
“This thoughtful and entertaining book introduces an important new concept to the psychology of interpersonal relations. People need to eat and sleep, to love, and to belong, but they also need to matter to others. Drawing from popular culture, personal experience, and scientific research, Gregory Elliott has provided a marvelous introduction to understanding why mattering matters.”–Roy F. Baumeister, Social Psychology Area Director and Francis Eppes Eminent Scholar, Florida State 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 to feel like they matter. Elliott’s analyses demonstrate the importance of feeling like one matters to one’s family for healthy functioning during adolescence. He also provides us with a stimulating theoretical discussion of the importance of mattering and the ways in which it is supported by social experience. This book should be of great interest to parents, educators, policy makers, and researchers.”–Jacquelynne Eccles, McKeachie Collegiate Professor of Psychology, Women’s Studies, and Education, University of Michigan