Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory Paper

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory shows the significance environmental influences can affect a child’s development. In order for the child to thrive, the environment needs to be filled with opportunity to grow. The correlation of internal conflict and environmental influences is prevalent in a child’s everyday life. Connor Morning is a 14-year-old boy with good health living in Salt Lake City, Utah. Connor was born into the Mormon religion and his dad works at the Salt Lake temple. Each week Connor’s family volunteers and attends service at the church. The Mormon religion has been followed throughout the Morning’s family for generations. Connor is well provided for by his parents and has a good education. Connor has a better family

This conflict causes Connor to develop negative mental health and despise his parents and the Mormon religion. The internal conflict that Connor is having is distracting him from not only his school work, but from worshipping. The negativity impacting his education and worshiping causes issues with his parents, because of this he has grown distant from his parents. Internal conflict of religion and family is a terrible thing for a child while developing because later in life the child may despise his family or faith. This conflict affects every stage of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems, due to the mesosystem connecting each system to one another. The age 14 is when children of both genders begin to become interested and attracted to the other sex (or same), this is an exciting stage for many kids, but the Mormon religion holds Connor back from dating or engaging in physical contact with girls. For this reason, Connor is made fun of by his peers and teased by girls because he must reject them. The societal-religious institution that Connor was born into has prevented him from experiencing the things that other kids do, therefor his exosystem is being affected

The circumstances that have been brought upon him alters his macrosystem in the way that he is becoming more individualistic. He is slowly shying away from following the Mormon rules to gain acceptance from his peers and do the things that he wants. Individualism and acceptance increasing his mood, but the adverse effect is his parents are starting to become stricter and becoming angry with him. This affects his microsystem positively because he is experiencing this important stage of his life while gaining social skills. However, his microsystem at home is being affected negatively. The long-term affect is that if Connor continues to become more individualistic then later on in life he will be independent and have the social skills to interact with women and co-workers. Individualism and social acceptance as a 14-year-old boy is much more important than religious beliefs, his view on this part of his chronosystem may change when he is older and searching for a direction or faith to follow. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory helps us understand cultures and the way children develop throughout a system of environmental influences. This system also helps us see the relation between cause and effect. As a child we are put into situations and standards out of our control and the ecological system helps us understand how one situation can affect another and is a foundation to