Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model Paper
Jocelyn Bobadilla
HUD110
June 30, 2013
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model Connection
Introduction:
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
HUD110
June 30, 2013
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model Connection
Introduction:
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
Cited: Berns, R. M. (2013, 2010). Child, family, school, community: socialization and support. (9 ed., p. 16). Belmont, California: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.