Preview

Analysis Paper One

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2195 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Analysis Paper One
Analysis Paper One:
Personal Development and the Ecological Model
Liberty University

Abstract
Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development revolves around the concept that an individual is impacted by several distinct relationships during their lifetime. According to this theory, these relationships are broken down into five levels that represent an individual’s five major interactions during their life; microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. These five systems are based on the ecological theory that these continually changing environmental systems impact the individual throughout childhood and into adulthood. This paper will demonstrate Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development by looking at how it shaped this author’s development and influenced the direction that was taken in her life.
In addition to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development, this paper will apply the ‘At-Risk Tree’ metaphor in order to better understand the issues that this author was at risk for during her childhood and adolescent years and which influences impacted whether the author’s tree bore fruit or was barren. The ecological model and the At-Risk Tree metaphor will be presented in a parallel manner in order to give better perspective to how these two models are good indicators for detecting at risk influences in an individual’s development.

Analysis Paper One:
Personal Development and the Ecological Model Ever wondered how the world around us impacts how a child develops? Well, Urie Bronfenbrenner did and he proposed a concept called the Ecological Systems theory which holds that individuals grow and develop within five different levels of interacting systems (McWhirter, McWhirter, McWhirter, & McWhiter, 2013). These five levels of relationship are identified as the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and the chronosystem with the individual at the center (McWhirter, et al., 2013).



References: Clinton, T., and Clark, C. (2010). The quick-reference guide to counseling teenagers. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books McWhirter, J.J., McWhiter, B.T., McWhiter, E.H., and McWhirter, R.J. (2013). At risk youth: A comprehensive response for counselors, teachers, psychologists, and human service professionals (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole Murray, K.T., & Evans, C.S. (2000). U.S. supreme court revisits school prayer. National Association of Secondary School Principals. NASSP Bulletin, 84(620), 73-82. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216040607?accountid=12085. Weiss, J.A. (2010). Preventing teen pregnancy by avoiding risk exposure. American Journal of Health Studies, 25(4), 202-210.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Bronfenbrenner Analysis

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917–2005), a developmental theorist, proposes development does not occur in a vacuum, but may take several different paths depending on the environmental framework in which it occurs. Understanding the numerous factors that influence human development is the key to knowing oneself and contributing optimally in helping activities with others. Important aspects of human development can be understood within the context of a system of relationships and corresponding environmental influences. Bronfenbrenner proposed the ecological systems theory to help explain the manner in which the relationships among environmental variables influence developmental behavior (Crandell, Crandell, & Vander Zanden, 2012). This paper will attempt to analyze Bronfenbrenner's theory of development. It will also look at how his levels of influence helped to shape my development and discuss how this theory has influenced me as far as making decisions about my education and career.…

    • 637 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The aim of this assignment is to explore the development changes that occur at different life stages i.e. Conception, birth and infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. As well as socio- economic factors and life events that can influence, positively or negatively, the growth and development of individuals.…

    • 2208 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Studies in developmental psychology have strongly indicated that a variety of factors play a considerable role in who we become, but some have more impact than others. Brofenbrenner (1986) suggests employment of the term “chronosystem” as an elaboration on the widely accepted mesosystem development model. He explains that while the mesosystem focuses on the primary context for development, which is within the family, the chronosystem also accounts for the effect of the environments in which people live, which are also an integral part of human development. Santosh’s story provides an example of how the mesosystem model would indicate a given developmental path, but when factors of the environment are taken into account, development looks quite…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Urie Bronfenbrenner perspective on lifespan development was the bio-ecological approach which suggest that five levels if the environment simultaneously influence indviduals. He tagged different aspects or levels of environment that influences a child’s development. Urie Bronfenbrenner five major systems are called microsystem; which is everyday immediate environment in which children lead their daily lives. Second is the mesosystem; which provides connections between the various aspects of the microsystem. Third is the exosystem; It represents broader influences, encompassing societal institutions such as local government, the community, schools, churches, and the local media. Fourth is the macrosystem; and it represents the larger cultural influences on a individual. Lastly, there’s the chonosystem and it underlies each of the previous systems. These systems are the bio-ecological approach to the development that focus on the large differences in environments in which children develop. Bronfenbrenner wanted to focus on the process of development rather than concentrate on isolated variables. Most developmentalist focus on nature and nurture in the development of children. Bronfenbrenner’s theory is based on a child’s state of affairs and circumstances.…

    • 742 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Best Essays

    References: Guavian, M. Cole, M. (1994). Readings on the Development of Children. Ecological Models of human development, NY: Freeman…

    • 1397 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Social Ecological Theory

    • 1420 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Ecological Social Theory was developed from Urie Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenner wanted to show how a person’s development is based off of influences of several environmental factors or systems. The first environmental factor is the microsystem. The microsystem is a person’s family or aspects of a group that contain a social identity. The next is the mesosystem which is two microsystems interacting together or an organization or institutional that helps shape or configures the environment within that person (Arditti, 2005). Then there is the exosystem. The exosystem is the external environment that indirectly influences a person’s development. An example of an exosystem is the community. The macrosystem is the larger socio-cultural system like a person’s culture. The last system is the chronosystem. The chronosystem is the evolution of all external systems over a period of time.…

    • 1420 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development is relevant to state of all our lives. His research shows how our development is affected by the environment we are in. This is explained to us in five different parts. Urie Bronfenbrenner proposes an ecological theory that centers on the relationship between the developing individual and the changing environmental systems. This theory is broken down into a model of five different relationships of development. He suggests that the environment has an effect on the behavior and how it is expressed. The model that Bronfenbrenner breaks down five systems called the microystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosytem.…

    • 757 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A. The Ecological Systems Theory developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner, has helped people today understand why certain behaviors happen in the presence of different environments throughout our lifespan. The theory is broken down into five layers, the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem, and the chronosystem.…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    As a child develops, the surroundings and people they interact with can have an impact in their development. Bronfenbrenner is a developmental psychologist who created the bioecological model of human development. The purpose of Bronfenbrenner’s model is to analyze the different connections humans make in the process of socialization. The bioecological model consists of four main areas “in which relationships and interactions take place to form patterns that affect human development” (Berns, 2013, 2010). The patterns that are formed from the relationships an interactions being created can be either positive or negative influences that can affect human development. The first system is the microsystem; in this system children are directly affected by the interactions they encounter “in a particular small setting” (Berns, 2013, 2010). For instance, family, school, peers, media, and their community are part of a child’s microsystem. The second system is the mesosystem; in this system the mesosystem is reflected in the microsystem due to the connections it creates with the child’s small settings. An example of this can be the child’s community collaborations which influences the child’s development. The third system is the exosystem; in this system the settings in which the child is not directly involve, yet the child is still affected in their microsystem. For instance, the child’s parents’ work can affect the child do to financial problems or stressed. The fourth system is the macrosystem; in this system “the society and subculture to which the developing person belongs, with particular reference to the belief system, lifestyles, patterns of social interaction, and life changes (Berns, 2013, 2010). For example, being part of a religion influences your life and therefore your human development as well. Indeed, Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model depicts the human…

    • 1997 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Adolescent Development

    • 1888 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Individual human development occurs within interconnected and embedded ecological systems (McWhirter et al, 2013). The ecological systems include the individual, the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, and macrosystem (McWhirter et al, 2013). The individual consists of genetic and biological factors, and personality characteristics (McWhirter et al, 2013). The microsystem consists of the people that the individual comes into direct contact with and who the individual interacts with (McWhirter et al, 2013). The mesosystem is the embedded interconnections between different microsystems and the impact of the interactions that take place (McWhirter et al, 2013). The exosystem consists of the interconnections between one or more settings that indirectly involve the individual (McWhirter et al, 2013). The macrosystem represents the social blueprint of cultural values, societal structure, gender-role socializations, race relations, belief systems, and national and international resources (McWhirter et al, 2013). The chronosystem is the interconnection and interaction of the individual within…

    • 1888 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Considering the Present

    • 923 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Urie Bronfenbrenner proposed a theory of ecological systems, which focuses on broad, interconnected influences on human development. (Mossler, 2013, Chapter 2, Section 2.6, Paragraph 1). The microsystem refers to the daily environment.…

    • 923 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Louv (2008) argued children's connection to the natural world is weakening, and it is negatively impacting their mental and physical health. My childhood experiences negatively influenced my creativity, my decision making ability, and my fears, yet it showed no detriment to my physical health. In concurrence with Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, my childhood illustrates that direct and indirect influences of different environmental systems impacted my interactions with the natural world, and then consequently my childhood development. As Louv (2008) suggested, my guardians and society widened my disconnect with the natural world in some ways, but in other ways they strengthened my connection.…

    • 1754 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Brnofenbreener's Model

    • 1566 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The study of complex interrelationships between human beings and their social environments is referred to as human ecology. Bronfenbrenner was a noted psychologist who came up with a human ecology model to examine the effects of various socio-economic factors that influence a child’s development. Bronfenbrenner postulated that human development followed a model akin to “nested arrangements of concentric structures each contained within the next (Cited in Thies & Travers 2009 21). These concentric circles represent a contextual level in which a child develops. The levels do not operate in isolation as there are reciprocal interactions whereby the children are products of their environments and vice versa. This model has recently been renamed the bioecological systems theory to emphasize the child’s biological makeup is the primary environment influencing his/her development (Thies & Travers 2009 21).…

    • 1566 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Development

    • 1479 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory has influenced the thinking of psychologists throughout the world ever since the scientist first put it forth, particularly in the field of child and youth care, where such models as the ecological onion, cube, and umbrella models have been based on Bronfenbrenner’s theory.…

    • 1479 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays