Human Development: Biology from a Holistic Point of View

How can we understand and explain human behavior? This is a basic question that is asked by students taking courses in psychology, medicine and health studies as well as colleagues in human services. Generally speaking, human behavior is understood in terms of three broad perspectives biology, psychology and sociology. Under the biological perspective, human behavior is seen as a product of biological structures and mechanisms. Under the psychological perspective, human behavior is seen as a result of mental processes, which may or may not have biological bases. Finally, sociologists believe that external social structures and processes determine human behavior. External environmental factors such as poverty, income inequality and alienation contribute to substance abuse and will be addressed in this intriguing book on human development.