Influences: Urie Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory

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Individuals and experiences impact a child’s development, according to psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. A child 's environment affects how a child develops, which begins with an individual’s family and extends to the interactions within the environment. Interactions, with environmental experiences, shape the course of a lifespan development. The Ecological Systems interactions with the child will influence how the child develops; the more encouraging and nurturing these relationships are, the more chances for positive development. The influences of family and culture are especially important because they become the building blocks of a child’s maturation. Children move through the different layers of development rather smoothly when they are taught the basic concepts of love, respect, tolerance, and honor. These principles are needed to instill positive values in children. Ecological Influences Bronfenbrenner breaks down his ecological systems theory into five “layers” and each …show more content…

Social-ecological theory looks at these involved aspects that may affect childhood development. Poverty can become a stumbling block that prevents a healthy development within a child. Children may be forced to move from one place to another, which minimizes consistency. Development is shaped by the overall environment and not just the individual’s immediate families. Many times, children of poverty will isolate themselves from peers and other familiar aspects, making consistency difficult and therefore, Bronfenbrenner’s theory may not work well for every child and especially true in children faced with long-term poverty (Krishnan,