In today’s world, where psychology
has been disseminated throughout the popular media, many people assume that
they are self-esteem experts, because they have heard about self-esteem, are
aware of their own sense of self-esteem, and have formulated strong feelings
and thoughts about how to raise and maintain self-esteem.  Because self-esteem
is such a commonly discussed construct, misinformation is easily propagated,
especially among people with only a passing knowledge of self-esteem theory and
research.  In the book, Extending Self-Esteem Theory and Research,
authors Owens, Stryker and Goodman attempt to examine the current state of
self-esteem, identify some of its weaknesses, and "explain it, extend it,
and expand it."  Unfortunately, as the authors point out, a
misunderstanding of the concept has resulted in the naïve misapplication of
self-esteem theory and methods and has led many to malign the construct and
diminish its significance in the minds of many.  It is for this reason that
this book was written. 

The book is broken down into five sections, each
containing two or more chapters written by various leaders in the field of
self-esteem theory and research.  As such, the book can be read straight
through, or one can choose chapter topics of interest and have no problem
reading the chapters out of order, as none are reliant on the previous chapter
for ideas.  For this reason, even the least academic reader is bound to find
some topic of interest and most will likely find the whole book a great
resource.

What is unique about this book is
the way the authors focus on Morris Rosenberg and the indelible mark he has
left on the field.  Most people in the field of psychology are familiar with
the self-esteem scales he invented 35 years ago, and many have used them in
their research.  As the editors of the various author’s chapters, Owens,
Stryker and Goodman asked each to orient his or her chapter around some aspect
of Rosenberg’s work.  Although they do not intend this book to serve as a
static or strictly laudatory tribute to one man’s lifework, Rosenberg is the
springboard of this volume.  For this reason, I found this to be an
exceptionally enjoyable book.  Not only is this book an excellent resource for
the social sciences, in terms of understanding self-esteem, but putting the
focus on Morris Rosenberg and his contribution to the field allowed the authors
to address what is currently known about self-esteem while providing a
framework to make it easily understandable. 

© 2004 Kendell C.
Thornton

Kendell C. Thornton, Ph.D. is currently
an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Dowling College, Long Island, NY. He earned his B.S. in Psychology from the University of Idaho, M.S. in Social
Psychology from the University of Montana, and Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Kansas. His current
research interests include interpersonal relationships, with a focus on
emotions, motivations, and self-concept.

Categories: Psychology