The Bronfenbrenner Primer

"Few scientists have had as profound an impact on the study of human development as Urie Bronfenbrenner. This textbook does a terrific job of explaining Bronfenbrenner’s most important ideas in a way that will help students really understand them and apply them to their own research. I recommend it highly." - Laurence Steinberg, Temple University, USA

"Lawrence Shelton has done a great service for generations of students to come by offering a comprehensive presentation of Urie Bronfenbrenner's approach to the ecology of human development. Shelton's book is clear, detailed, rich in its real world connections, and ‘keeps faith’ with Urie's vision of how to study and understand the complex processes by which the biological organism becomes the human person. As someone who knew Urie well I am pleased to see this important effort to keep his intellectual legacy alive and vibrant." – James Garbarino, Loyola University Chicago, USA

"Researchers and practitioners often use Bronfenbrenner's theory as a guiding framework for examining individual development within the context of a larger ecosystem. Thus, having an accurate understanding of his theoretical model is critical to improving the lives of children and families. Shelton reminds us of the importance of Bronfenbrenner's theoretical framework by offering a well-written primer that appropriately targets undergraduate students. Incorporating his book in the undergraduate human development curriculum would help students appreciate and understand the fundamentals of his framework in their undergraduate coursework and beyond." - Lauren E. Altenburger & Polina Soldatova, Journal of Family Theory and Review