THE NEED FOR A SCIENCE OF LARGER SOCIAL UNITS - A CONTEXTUAL APPROACH

This paper describes current issues in behavior therapy which point to the need for research on the larger context for behavior problems of individuals. Contextualism is advocated as a paradigmatic framework for the analysis of larger social units. We discuss its implications for theoretical analysis and empirical research. The concept of the cultural practice is advocated as the key dependent variable to be addressed in work focused on the larger context for behavior problems. The main theoretical concepts of cultural materialism are briefly described (Harris, 1979). These concepts suggest key aspects of the larger context for the environments of individuals which must be manipulated for research on the larger context to help ameliorate or prevent behavior problems. Finally, detailed examples of contextual analyses of tobacco use and childrearing practices are provided to illustrate how the present framework can be applied to important behavioral and societal problems. © 1990 Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy. All rights reserved.