This articles is concerned with the mean-field micromechanics model that has been developed by several investigators as a powerful modification of Eshelby`s theory for the study of the macromechanical behavior of composite materials. The energy approach that has been proposed is generalized and its applications to specific problem are presented and discussed. First, a general framework of the model is reformulated with emphasis on clarification of the key approximation involved. The model is then applied to the prediction of overall elastic properties of Al-SiC composites. For the system with randomly oriented spheroidal particles in particular, the overall Young`s, bulk and shear moduli, computed as functions of the particle aspect ratio. The remainder of this article is devoted to the analysis of elastic-plastic responses of composite materials.