This book results from a research program on which I have spent most of
my time since 1974. It addresses two of the major problems facing social
system account ing: how to measure and account for nonmarket activities
and how to combine social and economic indicators. The solution I
propose is accounts based on behavior settings, a concept originated by
Roger G. Barker more than thirty years ago. Behavior settings are the
natural units of social activity into which people sort themselves to
get on with the busi- ness of daily life--grocery stores, school
classes, reI i- gious services, meetings, athletic events, and so on.
The descriptive power of behavior settings has been established in
surveys of complete communities in the United States and England, of
high schools ranging in size from fewer than 100 to more than 2000
students, of rehabilitation centers in hospitals, and of several other
types of organizations. Behavior settings are empirical facts of
everyday life. A description of a community or an organization in terms
of behavior settings corresponds to common experi- ence. In many cases,
small establishments are behavior settings; the paid roles in behavior
settingsare occupa- tions; and the buildings and equipment of
establishments are the buildings and equipment of behavior settings.