The influence of environment (poverty and social economic status) on child development
The social environment in which a child grows up has a big influence and effect on the child’s development with regards to their schooling, in particular. Poverty and social economic status (SES), both have an impact a child’s academic achievement. Poor academic achievement and participation are closely correlated with a low social economic status, poverty and inconsistent family life (Dubensky, 2006). This essay will look at this theory by mainly focusing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework and how it applies to the theory that development and environmental circumstances coincide.
Bronfenbrenner was born in Russia, on the 29th of April 1917 and died on the 25th of September 2005 (Hook, 2009). Later, he moved to the United States of America, where he studied and furthered his psychological theories at the University of Michigan. He was a psychologist for the American Army and developed theories that emphasized development in context and the influence of the environment on development. He also put forward the idea that individuals can change their environment according to their abilities, allowing them to match their needs and desires. Making individual’s become a proactive feature in the process of their development (Hook, 2009). Bronfenbrenner defines development as “the individuals evolving conception of the ecological environment, how they relate to it, as well as their growing