ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

THEORY
Urie Bronfenbrenner

• a Russian-born American

psychologist
•Formulated the Ecological Systems
Theory

(April 29, 1917 – September 25, 2005)

Ecological Systems Theory
 This theory looks at a child's development within the
context of the system of relationships that form his or
her environment.
 Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model organizes
contexts of development into five nested levels of
external influence: 
 Microsystem, Mesosystem, Ecosystem, Macrosyste
m, and Chronosystem. These levels are categorized
from the most intimate level to the broadest.
The Microsystem

DEFINITION EFFECT

 the smallest and most  How these groups or

immediate environment individuals interact with the
 Home children will affect how they
develop.
 school or daycare
 More nurturing and
 peer group
supportive interactions and
 community environment of relationships will likely to
the children. foster a better environment
 involve personal for development.
relationships with family
members, classmates,
teachers and caregivers
The Mesosystem
DEFINIOTION
 the interaction of the
different microsystems which
children find themselves in.
 a system of microsystems
and as such, involves
linkages between home and
school, between peer group
and family, and between
family and community.
EFFECT
 if a child’s parents are actively
involved in the friendships of
their child, then the child’s
development is affected
positively through harmony and
like-mindedness
 However, if the child’s parents
dislike their child’s peers and
openly criticize them, the child
will experience disequilibrium
and conflicting emotions, which
will likely lead to negative
development.
The Exosystem
DEFINITION
 pertains to the linkages that may
exist between two or more
settings, one of which may not
contain the developing children
but affect them indirectly
nonetheless.
 people and places that children
may not directly interact with may
still have an impact on their lives.
Such places and people may
include the parents’ workplaces,
extended family members, and the
neighborhood the children live in.
EXAMPLE
 a father who is continually
passed up for promotion
by an indifferent boss at
the workplace may take it
out on his children and
mistreat them at home.
This will have a negative
impact on the child’s
development
The Macrosystem

DEFINITION EXAMPLE

 composed of the  children in war-torn

children’s cultural areas will experience a
patterns and values, different kind of
specifically their development than
dominant beliefs and children in a peaceful
ideas, as well as environment.
political and economic
systems.
The Chronosystem

DEIFINITION EXAMPLE

 demonstrates the influence of  The family moving to

both change and constancy in
the children’s environments.
a different
 may include a change in neighborhood.
family structure, address,
parents’ employment status,
as well as immense society
changes such as economic
cycles and wars.
REFERENCE
 What is Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems
Theory?. (2019, May 3). The Psychology Notes
Headquarters.
https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/bronfenbrenn
er-ecological-theory/
END OF PRESENTATION