Abstract
Introduction
Ordinary Magic: Resilience in Development, by Ann S. Masten, amalgamates the many aspects of resilience research: from neurobiological theories to familial, school, and cultural contexts of development, and from individual resilience to adaptive systems. This book comprehensively integrates resilience research on children and adolescents from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Ordinary Magic acts as a thorough foundational text for scholars, students, and professionals seeking involvement in the field of resilience science. The scope of this book extends current understandings of resilience to applied practices that can be implemented by researchers, psychologists, and multi-disciplinary practitioners to promote growth in resilience. As an internationally recognized resilience researcher, Masten intends for this book to be used as a resource to guide the development of resilience-focused programs involving empirically supported strengths-based strategies and models. Through an examination of existing controversies, Masten emphasizes future directions for research and practice in the field of resilience by presenting a resilience framework to inform further research in the field.
Content and Structure
Ordinary Magic is comprised of four sections that include a conceptual overview of resilience, summaries of explicit research studies and their corresponding findings, implications for informing resilience frameworks for interventions, and extensions for future research directions. Masten’s thesis within the book maintains that resilience, although a complex phenomenon, can be understood and fostered. Much of the book addresses findings from resilience research and integrates these findings to form an understanding of the construct as an ordinary phenomenon, arising from common protections (i.e., positive self-beliefs, a healthy brain, positive social interactions and relationships).
The introduction and conceptual overview form the first section of the book. Masten’s introduction emphasizes empirical findings suggesting that resilience, the overcoming of adversity, results from ordinary processes and resources. This notion counters misperceptions of resilience as being rare or the result of extraordinary resources. In this section, Masten outlines the four waves of resilience science to illustrate the historical progression of scientific studies involving this captivating construct. Masten’s opening of her book comprehensively defines resilience in terms of developmental science and provides the reader with a foundation for understanding resilience pathways and patterns for children and adolescents. Models and measures for systematic empirical studies of resilience (e.g., person-focused studies, variable-focused models) are explained, examples are provided, and discussions of limitations and benefits of the research approaches are included.
The second section of the book presents empirical studies and their corresponding findings relating to individual resilience. An emphasis is placed on the value of studies of individual resilience, allowing for mapping varied pathways of resilience. Masten concisely presents an overview of findings from resilience studies on children and youth who have undergone similar life adversities (e.g., poverty, war, disaster). Masten reviews the origins, research design, methods, constructs, and results from research she was involved with for the Project Competence Longitudinal Study (PCLS), an early study aiming to understand resilience. Two chapters are dedicated to presenting findings from studies on homeless children, and children exposed to war, terrorism, and disaster. Implications for interventions and areas in need of further research are addressed.
The third section of the book describes the various adaptive systems involved in the development of resilience. Masten first presents a “short list” of factors that have been consistently associated with the promotion and protection of resilience in young people, which includes factors such as effective parenting, intelligence, problem-solving, and self-control. She describes these factors and systems in some depth using the support of numerous empirical studies. Masten then dedicates a chapter to the neurobiology of resilience, including information on biologically based protective factors such as vaccinations, and the neurobiological traits associated with the previously mentioned adaptive systems. She presents information on the concept of “biological sensitivity,” or predisposition, and recent research on genetics/epigenetics. The last three chapters in this section provide rich information on resilience in the context of families, schools, and culture. Masten explains the many ways in which families influence the development of resilience (e.g., —transmitting genes, providing opportunities, support), and asserts that the most important way to encourage resilience in children is to support the positive functioning of families. She suggests that schools play a similar role as families in the development of resilience, and may even compensate for a poorly functioning home. Culture influences both family and school functioning, and may also influence how events are experienced.
The final section of the book presents a resilience framework for action and discusses the implications of what resilience research has uncovered thus far. This resilience framework highlights how thinking has shifted away from a deficit-based model of treating problems towards a focus on strengths to facilitate success. Furthermore, Masten explains her take on the major research findings and their implications for action. She expresses that although there are still many questions to be answered, we now have a substantial body of knowledge to facilitate and promote resilience in children. Masten concludes by addressing criticisms of resilience research and areas for further research within the fourth wave of resilience science.
Critique
A major strength of Ordinary Magic is its accessibility for a diverse range of readers. Masten wrote the book using lay terms. As such, she clearly defined major constructs and avoided excessive use of jargon, which made the book easy to follow and understand. In addition, Masten used relevant examples, case studies, and figures to highlight key concepts and theories within resilience research. These examples promote understanding of resilience science by bringing context to the major theories and ideas. Throughout the book Masten was able to take complex theories, express them in a reader-friendly manner, and succinctly integrate the many aspects of resilience research. Additionally, a major strength of this book is its extensive review on multi-disciplinary resilience research. Masten discusses research from a variety of fields including sociology, social work, and psychology, and covers longitudinal, qualitative, and quantitative research studies. Ordinary Magic comprehensively integrates resilience research and can be considered a broad resource to be used by a wide range of professionals.
This book proved to be so comprehensive and well-written that only one, albeit minor, limitation was identified. The introduction provided very few references to support the information being provided. This is most likely due to Masten’s vast personal and professional knowledge of resilience; however, it would be beneficial to provide additional in-text references to allow interested readers for follow up. It should also be noted that Masten has included a “recommended readings by topic” list at the end of the volume, should readers wish to explore any topics in greater detail.
In summary, Ordinary Magic is a comprehensive overview of resiliency research, providing the reader with a thorough foundation for understanding the construct of resilience. As a resource for students, scholars, and professionals, this book links research findings to applied practice and identifies areas in need of further research in this expanding field. Masten has written an excellent piece to promote resilience research and guide the development of empirically supported, resilience-focused, strengths-based programs that best promote the well-being of individuals.