PAULANE R.

NAVALTA
BEED II-B

Urie Bronfenbrenner (April 29, 1917 – September 25,

2005) was a Russian-born American developmental
psychologist who is known for his ecological systems
theory of child development. His scientific work and his
assistance to the United States government helped in the
formation of the Head Start Program in 1965.
Bronfenbrenner's research and his theory was key in
changing the perspective of developmental psychology by
calling attention to the large number of environmental and
societal influences on child development.

You and Your Environment

Otherwise known as the Human Ecology Theory, the Ecological Systems theory states
that human development is influenced by the different types of environmental systems.
Formulated by famous psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner, this theory helps us understand why
we may behave differently when we compare our behavior in the presence of our family and
our behavior when we are in school or at work.

The Five Environmental Systems

The ecological systems theory holds that we encounter different environments

throughout our lifespan that may influence our behavior in varying degrees. These systems
include the micro system, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macro system, and the
chronosystem.

1. The Micro System

The micro system's setting is the direct environment we have in our lives. Your family,
friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors and other people who have a direct contact with you
are included in your micro system. The micro system is the setting in which we have direct
social interactions with these social agents. The theory states that we are not mere recipients of
the experiences we have when socializing with these people in the micro system environment,
but we are contributing to the construction of such environment.
 2. The Mesosystem

The mesosytem involves the relationships between the microsystems in one's life. This
means that your family experience may be related to your school experience. For example, if a
child is neglected by his parents, he may have a low chance of developing positive attitude
towards his teachers. Also, this child may feel awkward in the presence of peers and may resort
to withdrawal from a group of classmates.

3. The Exosystem

The exosystem is the setting in which there is a link between the context where in the
person does not have any active role, and the context where in is actively participating.
Suppose a child is more attached to his father than his mother. If the father goes abroad to
work for several months, there may be a conflict between the mother and the child's social
relationship, or on the other hand, this event may result to a tighter bond between the mother
and the child.

4. The Macrosystem

The macrosystem setting is the actual culture of an individual. The cultural contexts
involve the socioeconomic status of the person and/or his family, his ethnicity or race and living
in a still developing or a third world country. For example, being born to a poor family makes a
person work harder every day.

5. The Chronosystem

The chronosystem includes the transitions and shifts in one's lifespan. This may also
involve the socio-historical contexts that may influence a person. One classic example of this is
how divorce, as a major life transition, may affect not only the couple's relationship but also
their children's behavior. According to a majority of research, children are negatively affected
on the first year after the divorce. The next years after it would reveal that the interaction
within the family becomes more stable and agreeable.

Value of the Theory

This theory, published in 1979, has influenced many psychologists in terms of the
manner of analyzing the person and the effects of different environmental systems that he
encounters. The ecological systems theory has since become an important theory that became
a foundation of other theorists' work.
 Urie Bronfenbrenner and Child Development

One final developmental theory needs to be addressed, even though it's not a stage
theory. Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) developed the ecological systems theory to explain
how everything in a child and the child's environment affects how a child grows and develops.
He labeled different aspects or levels of the environment that influence children's
development, including the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, and the
macrosystem.

The MICROSYSTEM is the small, immediate environment the child lives in. Children's
microsystems will include any immediate relationships or organizations they interact with, such
as their immediate family or caregivers and their school or daycare. How these groups or
organizations interact with the child will have an effect on how the child grows; the more
encouraging and nurturing these relationships and places are, the better the child will be able
to grow. Furthermore, how a child acts or reacts to these people in the microsystem will affect
how they treat her in return. Each child's special genetic and biologically influenced personality
traits, what is known as temperament, end up affecting how others treat them. This idea will be
discussed further in a later document about child temperament.

Bronfenbrenner's next level, the MESOSYSTEM, describes how the different parts of a
child's microsystem work together for the sake of the child. For example, if a child's caregivers
take an active role in a child's school, such as going to parent-teacher conferences and watching
their child's soccer games, this will help ensure the child's overall growth. In contrast, if the
child's two sets of caretakers, mom with step-dad and dad with step-mom, disagree how to
best raise the child and give the child conflicting lessons when they see him, this will hinder the
child's growth in different channels.

The EXOSYSTEM level includes the other people and places that the child herself may
not interact with often her but that still have a large affect on her, such as parents' workplaces,
extended family members, the neighborhood, etc. For example, if a child's parent gets laid off
from work, that may have negative effects on the child if her parents are unable to pay rent or
to buy groceries; however, if her parent receives a promotion and a raise at work, this may
have a positive effect on the child because her parents will be better able to give her physical
needs.

Bronfenbrenner's final level is the MACROSYSTEM, which is the largest and most
remote set of people and things to a child but which still has a great influence over the child.
The macrosystem includes things such as the relative freedoms permitted by the national
government, cultural values, the economy, wars, etc. These things can also affect a child either
positively or negatively.