1.10: Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Model
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Image Source: Child Development Theories: Urie Bronfenbrenner. First Discoverers.
Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Model
Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) was a Russian-born American psychologist who offers us one of the most comprehensive theories of human development. Bronfenbrenner studied the works of Freud, Erikson, Piaget, and other learning theorists. He and believed all of their theories could be enhanced by adding the dimension of context. Context describes the circumstances that form the meaning of something so that it can be fully understood and assessed.
Like Vygotsky’s, Bronfenbrenner looked at the social influences on learning and development, noting that growth depends not only on individual traits but on how people interact with family, schools, communities, and the larger society, in other words, the complete context in which these interactions take place. It helps to clarify meaning and interpretation by looking at the who, what, where, when, why, and how of a situation. Essentially, context, is the background information needed to fully understand something.
Bronfenbrenner observed that a child's growth and development is shaped by the context of who is involved in the life of the child and on when and where the child lives. The multi-layered interconnected systems that exist within the child's immediate environment (microsystem) as well broader societal structures like (mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, chronosystem) form the foundation of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory.
Each of these systems plays a unique role in shaping the child's growth and development over time. In addition, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model challenges us to go beyond the individual if we want to understand human development and promote improvements in society as a whole.
Fig. 1.10. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Model
| Name of System | Description of System |
|
Microsystems |
Microsystems impact a child directly. These are the people with whom the child interacts such as parents, peers, and teachers. The relationship between individuals and those around them need to be considered. For example, to appreciate what is going on with a student in math, the relationship between the student and teacher should be known. |
|
Mesosystems |
Mesosystems are interactions between those surrounding the individual. The relationship between parents and schools, for example will indirectly affect the child. |
|
Exosystem |
Exosystems are larger institutions such as the mass media or the healthcare system. These have an impact on families and peers and schools who operate under policies and regulations found in these institutions. |
|
Macrosystems |
Macrosystems exist at the level at which we cultural values and beliefs. These larger ideals and expectations inform institutions that will ultimately impact the individual. |
|
Chronosystem |
Chronosystems exist in an historical context. Cultural values change over time, as do policies of educational institutions or governments in certain political climates. Development occurs within the context of these specific historical points in time. |
Ecological Systems Model
Image Source: Yan Kkrukau. A girl pointing at the number 6. Pexels.com
A child learning math:
- we can’t simply look at that individual and what challenges they face directly with the subject (microsystem)
- we also must look at the interactions that occur between teacher and child (mesosystem)
- maybe the teacher needs to make modifications
- maybe the teacher is responding to regulations made by the school (exosystem) that interferes with the teacher’s ability to instruct .
- the new regulations may be a response to national efforts (macrosystem) to promote math and science deemed important by political leaders in response to relations with other countries at a time in history (chronosystem)
All of these interconnected systems impact the individual child's learning, growth, and development.
|
Image Source: Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. SimplePsychology.org. Figure 1.4.6 - Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory is displayed as concentric circles. The developing child (age, sex, health, abilities,, and temperament) is situated at the center in a dark pink circle. The ring surrounding it represents the Microsystem, influences such as home, friends, family, school, and neighborhood, etc. that directly impact the child. The next gold ring, the Mesosystem represents the interaction of any two Microsystems (home and school, neighborhood and peer group, etc.) The next green ring including parents' friends and workplace, extended family, the educational system, local government agencies, community, mass media, etc. The next blue ring represents social norms, culture, and economic and political systems at a given point in time. Finally, the light purple outer ring, the Chronosystem, represents how all of these systems change over time. |
Source
- Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. SimplePsychology.org.
- Leon, Ana R. Children’s Development. Licensed under CC BY 4.0