What Is the Value-Base of the Ecological Metaphor?
The ecological perspective addresses the value of holism. Western science and ways of thinking about the world have emphasized linear, reductionistic, and fragmented ways of understanding. In psychology, people are broken down into component parts (learning, perception, cognition) and are examined as isolated entities. Moreover, the researcher is a detached, objective scientist who is viewed as independent of the people he or she is studying, and the professional is an Aexpert@ helper. The ecological perspective revives an emphasis on holistic thinking, feeling, and acting, that was evident in Gestalt psychology.
