ABSTRACT
This chapter presents human behavior and the social environment theories for social work practice with communities. It traces the historical development of how people relate to one another as members of a society. The chapter then provides an overview of macrolevel social work practice approaches for community assessment and asset-building interventions. It continues the discussion of human behavior and the social environment theories for macrolevel social work practice with a focus on communities. As best expressed by Schriver (2011), "Community is where the individual and the social environment come together". This notion expands multilayered theoretical practice context and provides further insight into people's collective identity. The target of the social worker's change efforts expands from individuals, families, and small groups to larger systems and the greater welfare of society. The emergence of cities as permanent marketplaces impacts whether city residents have ready access to the goods and services available in society.
