Introduction
Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) developed the bio ecological systems theory to explain how everything in a child and the child's environment affects how a child grows and develops. This theory also 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.
Bronfenbrenner theorized that there were five environmental factors that impacted an individual's growth and development; the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem and the chronosystem.
The microsystem is the system closest to the child and contains the structures with which the child has direct contact. This system encompasses the relationships and interactions that a child has with their immediate surroundings. Structures in the microsystem include family, school, neighborhood, or childcare environments.
The mesosystem is the system that provides the connection between the structures of the child’s microsystem. Some examples would be the connection between the child’s teacher and his/her parents, between the child’s church, and the child’s neighborhood.
The exosystem is the system that defines the larger social system in which the child does not function directly. The structures in this system impact the child’s development by interacting with some structure in his/her microsystem. Some examples would be a parent’s workplace schedule or community-based family resources. The child may not be directly involved at this level, but he/she does feel the positive or negative force involved with the interaction with his/her own system.
The macrosystem is the system that may be considered the outermost system in the child’s environment. While not being a specific framework, this system is comprised of cultural values, customs, and laws. The effects of larger principles defined by the macrosystem have a cascading influence throughout the interactions of all other systems.
The chronosystem is the system that reflects the cumulative experiences a person has over the course of their lifetime. Elements within this system can be either external, such as the timing of a parent’s death, or internal, such as the physiological changes that occur with the aging of a child. As children get older, they may react differently to environmental changes and may be more able to determine more how that change will influence them.
Picture provided by http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/urie-bronfenbrenner-biography-theory-quiz.html
Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) developed the bio ecological systems theory to explain how everything in a child and the child's environment affects how a child grows and develops. This theory also 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.
Bronfenbrenner theorized that there were five environmental factors that impacted an individual's growth and development; the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem and the chronosystem.
The microsystem is the system closest to the child and contains the structures with which the child has direct contact. This system encompasses the relationships and interactions that a child has with their immediate surroundings. Structures in the microsystem include family, school, neighborhood, or childcare environments.
The mesosystem is the system that provides the connection between the structures of the child’s microsystem. Some examples would be the connection between the child’s teacher and his/her parents, between the child’s church, and the child’s neighborhood.
The exosystem is the system that defines the larger social system in which the child does not function directly. The structures in this system impact the child’s development by interacting with some structure in his/her microsystem. Some examples would be a parent’s workplace schedule or community-based family resources. The child may not be directly involved at this level, but he/she does feel the positive or negative force involved with the interaction with his/her own system.
The macrosystem is the system that may be considered the outermost system in the child’s environment. While not being a specific framework, this system is comprised of cultural values, customs, and laws. The effects of larger principles defined by the macrosystem have a cascading influence throughout the interactions of all other systems.
The chronosystem is the system that reflects the cumulative experiences a person has over the course of their lifetime. Elements within this system can be either external, such as the timing of a parent’s death, or internal, such as the physiological changes that occur with the aging of a child. As children get older, they may react differently to environmental changes and may be more able to determine more how that change will influence them.
Picture provided by http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/urie-bronfenbrenner-biography-theory-quiz.html
