Statement of Informed Beliefs

Student’s Social Ecology Theory

Each of us is made up of everything that created us. We are not just a creature that is born

fully developed, but instead are shaped by our surroundings, caregivers, and society. According

to Brofenbrenner’s Bioecological Model of Human Development, the different things that

influence children have varying degrees of influence (Berns, 2016). Most closely enveloping

and socializing the child are microsystems. Consisting of family (the first and most important

socializing agent, I would argue), school, community, peers, and media, these are the factors that

hold the most sway during a child’s crucial developing years. These overlap with each other,

creating mesosystems. For example, family and school overlapping might look like a conference

held at school for parents. These also influence children greatly, though not to the extent that

micro systems do.

Beyond the first influential effects of micro- and mesosystems are macrosystems. These

consist of more general ideas and concepts, such as religion and ethnicity. These definitely hold

influence of the socialization of a child, and beyond that are exosystems. These are factors that

do not influence a child directly, but still play a part in the child’s life. This would look like a

parent’s job, which does not have a direct correlation to the child’s socialization, but would still

affect their life, albeit in a more indirect way. Perhaps work was stressful that day, which led to

an altered response in the parent when the child was crying that night when they got home. Both

of these systems are important and pertinent to every child’s life, but do not affect them in the

most noticeable and dramatic ways. Micro- and mesosystems, however, do.
 Before a child is born, the factors affecting their socialization have already begun to influence

their life. These include what type of culture they come from, their family’s socioeconomic

status, and even how their parents were raised. These, plus other factors, mix together into a

unique recipe for each child, creating a specific culture into which the child is born. There may

be certain traditions that the family subscribes to, such as religious practices that may affect the

child’s view of morality, or cultural norms which may influence how the child treats his or her

elders. Whether the family is lower income or higher income may determine what type of

parenting style is used, whether that be authoritarian or authoritative. This often shapes the way

the child responds to parents and other authority figures, perhaps by being more submissive and

complying without question, or pushing back and wanting to have a conversation about why

rules are in place.

 References

Berns, R. M. (2016). Child, Family, School, Community: Socialization and Support (10th ed.).
Stamford, CT: Cengage.