Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory is one of the most accepted explanations of the influence of society on the development of people. It defends that The environment in which we grow affects all levels of our lives.. So, thoughts, emotions and preferences are determined by various social factors.

Since its formulation, It has served as a basis for studies in many disciplines. So much so that developmental psychology and sociology drink from it. It was raised for the first time in 1979, in a work titled The ecology of human development (1987). In this article we will see what it consists of and what its most important points are.

The life of Urie Bronfenbrenner

Urie Bronfenbrenner was born in Moscow in 1917. When he was very young, his family moved to the United States, where he lived until his death in 2005. His father He was a doctor and became the director of the New York Institute for the Mentally Defective..

He studied psychology and music at Cornell University and graduated in 1938. After He studied developmental psychology at Harvard University. and obtained a doctorate in this area at the University of Michigan.

When World War II broke out, He worked as a psychologist in the ranks of the North American armed forces. This experience had a great impact on him and gave him important bases for the theory that he later developed.

After the war, he dedicated himself to teaching and research at various university centers. Throughout his life he tried to ensure that his theories had a practical translation into life.. Therefore, she participated in the design of programs for young children and disadvantaged sections of society.

Explanation of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory

Urie Bronfenbrenner observed that The children’s way of being changed depending on the context in which they lived. they lived. Therefore, he decided to study which were the elements that most conditioned child development in this sense.

He understood the environment as a set of systems that related to each other. In this way, the influence of one of them on development depends on their relationship with the others. In addition, they are ordered from those closest to the child to those furthest away.

A change in environment can influence the person. Therefore, it is normal for a child to modify her way of being when she moves to another culture. The same thing happens when someone changes social role within one of the systems. From closest to the person to furthest away, the five systems of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory are as follows: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. Let’s see how their definitions.

Ecological theory maintains that the different systems in which we develop affect our lives, ideas, feelings and actions.

1. Microsystem

In his book The state of Americans: This generation and the next (1996), Bronfenbrenner points out that the microsystem encompasses the set of things that people do, the roles they play, and the relationships they have in a physical, social, and symbolic environment. These types of environments cause a child to engage or not engage in increasingly difficult activities and interact with others.

Thus, this system is made up of the groups that have direct contact with the small. Some of the most important are family and school. The relationship between this system and development is evident and occurs in both directions.

As an example of this, parents’ erroneous beliefs can affect the child’s emotional growth. However, He is also capable of modifying the perspectives of his family members.. The same happens with the school and with the rest of the groups that are part of the microsystem.

2. Mesosystem

In the words of Urie Bronfenbrenner and Pamela Morris, in the book Handbook of child psychology: Theoretical models of human development (2006), this system «comprises the relationships between two or more environments; In short, it is a system of two or more microsystems. The relationship between family and school is an illustration of this system.

Another example is the partnership between neighborhood and family. The neighborhood is a microsystem, in which the child interacts regularly, and the quality of life there can have an impact on the family’s experience and, therefore, the child’s.

The mesosystem is important because it provides coherence and consistency to an individual’s life. When different microsystems are in tune, people more easily adhere to what they promote. So, if the same rule is applied both at school, in the family and in the neighborhood, it is easier for a child to adhere to it.

3. Exosystem

In The ecology of human development (1987), Bronfenbrenner maintains that this system It encompasses one or more environments that affect the person, even if he or she does not participate in them. Consequently, the influence on its development occurs through indirect means.

A manifestation of the exosystem would be the company in which a child’s relatives work. This would affect the way of thinking, the free time or the well-being of the parents. Therefore, also would have a significant impact on the child’s life.

This system can also influence a person’s access to certain resources and services. One case is government policy that affects medical care, affecting the quality and availability of the health services you receive for your physical and mental well-being.

4. Macrosystem

The last of the four systems described by ecological theory is the macrosystem. As an article published in Current Psychology points out, for Bronfenbrenner This system represented the social model of a culture or subculture.

Thus, it would be made up of those cultural elements in which the person is immersed, as the values, norms and social beliefs that shape the subjectivity of those who live in a culture. In this case, the influence would occur because These elements determine how the other systems can be expressed. What would not happen directly, but by modifying the rest of the groups that affect the person’s life.

5. Chronosystem

This latter system was included in later versions of the theory. It means at the moment of life in which the person is in relation to the situations you are experiencing. For example, the death of a loved one is interpreted differently depending on age.

The chronosystem includes, then, historical events, social and evolutionary changes.. Also, adjustments in the economy, technology and politics that impact people’s existence, and stages of life such as childhood, puberty, marriage, retirement, among others.

Criticisms of this theoretical model

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory is not perfect, but it has applications in numerous disciplines. Although it does not take into account biological factors, It is one of the best explanations that exist about how different social groups influence a person’s life..

The main criticism leveled against it is that, in addition to ignoring biological factors, it also does not pay attention to the cognitive elements of development. Furthermore, he is criticized for the fact that he has not proposed a succession of phases or stages in the evolutionary development of people.

However, from theories such as that of Jean Piaget or that of Erik Erikson, which do take these aspects into account, a combined reading could be made that takes into account both the contextual aspects of development and its individual particularities.

Despite the questions you have, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory has become a reference within evolutionary psychology. For the advancement of this science, it is very valuable that it has shown and emphasized the influence of environments on people. Although it was not the first theory to do so, it did manage to give shape and coherence to these incidents, beyond a general approach.

Finally, there is an agreement among different theorists about the need to do more research on the systemic paradigm in human development that takes into account the ecological theory proposed by Bronfenbrenner, therefore, Although the ecological perspective has progressed, at the same time it has received a lot of criticism.

Conclusion

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory is one of the explanations of human development that defends that The environment in which we grow affects all levels of our lives. Through the five systems, This theory shows how different social groups influence our livesfrom the closest microsystem to the furthest chronosystem.

Although it is criticized for not taking into account biological and cognitive factors, it has served as a basis for multiple research in various disciplines. Besides, has highlighted the importance of taking the environment into account to understand development.

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