EcologicalSystems

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory

Dr. K. A. KorbUniversity of Jos

Urie Bronfenbrenner

• Born in Russia• Immigrated to the US at age 6• Enlisted in the US army immediately after

completing his PhD• Co-founder of the Head Start program– Designed to serve at-risk nursery students to

prepare them for school


Ecological Systems Theory• Development is the result of the relationships between people and

their environments– Cannot evaluate a child’s development only in the immediate

environment– Must also examine the interactions among the larger environments

that a child develops in• Key Question: How does the world around the child help or hinder

development?• Four layers of relationships that influence a child’s development

– Microsystem: Relationships with direct contact to the child– Mesosystem: Connection between relationships of child’s

microsystem– Exosystem: Structures in which child the child does not have direct

contact– Macrosystem: Cultural context


Microsystem

• Microsystem: Variables that the child is directly exposed to– Relationships: Family, school, religious institution,

neighbors• Family: Most influential and durable influence on child

– Environment: Geographic, Material structures– Child’s body

• General health• Brain functioning – physiological and psychological• Emotions• Cognitive System


Microsystem

• Microsystem: Variables that the child is directly exposed to– Relationships: Family, school, religious institution,

neighbors• Family: Most influential and durable influence on child

– Environment: Geographic, Material structures– Child’s body

• General health• Brain functioning – physiological and psychological• Emotions• Cognitive System


Microsystem

• Most of the child’s behavior is learned in the microsystem.

• The microsystem consists of bi-directional influences– Parents actively shape the development of the child– Children actively shape their environment

• Personal attributes influence responses from other people• Children actively select and avoid specific environments

Bi-directional relationships are the foundation for a child’s cognitive and emotional growth


Mesosystem

• Mesosystem: Interconnections between the microsystems– Examples• Interactions between the family and teachers• Relationship between the child’s peers and the family


Exosystem

• Exosystem: Institutions of society that indirectly affect a child’s development– Examples• Parent’s workplace• Funding for education

• Impacts a child’s development by influencing structures in the microsystem


Macrosystem

• Macrosystem: Cultural context– Provides the values, beliefs, customs, and laws of

the culture in which a child grows up• Influences how parents, teachers, and others raise a

child• May be conscious or unconscious

– Influences the societal values, legislation, and financial resources provided by a society to help families function

– Influences the interactions of all other layers


Ecological Systems Theory

• Properties of the four layers of relationships– Each layer of the environment is complex – Each layer has an effect on a child’s development– Conflict within any layer ripples throughout other

layers• As a child develops, interaction within

environments becomes more complex– Complexity is the result of the maturation of a

child’s physical and cognitive structures



• Five propositions that describe how home and school relationships work together for positive development

1. Child must have an ongoing, long-term mutual interaction with an adult characterized by unconditional love and support

2. The child-adult relationship provides the pattern of interpersonal relationships with all of the child’s other relationships. The confidence from this relationship allows a child to explore and grow from other activities.



• Five propositions, continued.3. Interactions with other adults enables the child to

develop a more positive relationship in the primary child-adult relationship.

4. The primary child-adult relationship improves with repeated two-way interchanges and mutual compromise.

5. Relationships between child and adults require the society to support the importance of these roles.

• Public policies must provide time and resources for child-adult relationships to be nurtured.


Ecological Systems Theory• Instability and unpredictability in modern family

life is the most destructive force in child’s development– Because of demands within the workplace, children

do not have constant mutual interactions with important adults that are necessary for development

– If relationships in the microsystem break down, the child will not have tools to explore other parts of the environment

– Children without a strong primary relationship will find affirmation in inappropriate places, particularly in the adolescence years



• Technology has changed society– Society does not provide resources to protect

children and adults from the potential negative outcomes of technology

The best interest of society is to lobby for political and economic policies that support the importance of a parent’s role in their child’s development


Comparing Developmental Theories

Active/Passive Nature/Nurture Stage/Continuous

Piaget Active Both Stage

Information Processing Active Both Both

Sociocultural Active Both Continuous

Neo-Piagetians Active Both Stage

Social Learning Both Nurture Continuous

Psychosocial Passive Both Stage

Attachment Passive Nurture Stage

Ecological Systems Both Both Continuous


Critique

• Strengths– Integrates multiple influences on child

development

• Weaknesses– Does not provide detailed mechanisms for

development


Implications for Education• Primary relationship must be intended to last a lifetime– Teachers need to work to support the primary child-adult

relationship– Schools should create an environment that welcomes and

nurtures families– Education should foster societal attitudes that value all

work done on behalf of children• More research is needed to examine interactions

between different levels of relationships in a child’s development– Bronfenbrenner states that there is little conflict between

families and the school.


Revision

• Describe the four layers of relationships that influences a child’s development

• According to ecological systems theory, what can educators do to facilitate a child’s development?


Documents

EcologicalSystems