Ecological Systems Theory Essay

As I was civilizement up, I always heard of the expression that commodious deal be a product of their environment. I never gave this expression practically theory until I got older and became more awargon of my surroundings and my own environment. Personally, I feel that there is some truth to this statement. A individuals environment is precise influential to their development. A famous psychologist that studied baby bird development, Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner, developed the ecological systems theory to show how a kids development bum be influenced by their environment. Dr. Bronfenbrenner felt that a persons development is the product of a constellation of forces-cultural, social, economic, political- and not save psychological ones (Fox, 2005, para 6). According to an article by Nancy Darling of Oberlin College, ecologic Systems theory is presented as a theory of human development in which everything is seen as interrelated and our knowledge of development is bounded by context, culture, and bill (Darling, 2007, p. 204).The Ecological Systems Theory consists of five levels of the environment that are influential to a youngsters development. These five levels are the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and the chronosystem. These five levels each put forward signifi atomic number 50tly and jockstraps to mold an individual which puke affect their personality, the way they think, and who they are as a person overall.The first level, the microsystem, consists of the immediate environment that the chela is in on a daily basis (Oswalt, 2008). The microsystem would include a boors immediate family, teachers, neighbors, daycare, inculcate, and peers or anyone who a youngster or individual interacts with directly on a daily basis. The microsystem is important to a childs development because if the environment they are around on a daily basis is stable, nurturing, and caring, then that child leave promising prototype the same way. However, if the child is in an environment where they are leave out and abused or see violence, this bathroom carry an influence on their behavior and cause them to become affected by this negative environment.For example, if a child is surrounded by a family who is violent and does not endure much attention to their needs, neighbors that use profanity, and aggressive peers, then this child is undefended to more negative than verificatory behaviors. This can cause the child to model what they are exposed to, which is negativity. However, if the same child is in an environment where the family is nurturing, the teachers are welcoming and encourage learning, and its peers display positively charged social skills, then the child is exposed to positive behavior and is more likely to display positive behavior than negative. This level is closest to the child and is the most influential level of the ecological system (Paquette & Ryan, 2001).The next level of the ecological systems theory is the mesosystem. The mesosystem consists of how the people in the childs microsystem interact with each other. The mesosystem is the connection, or the relationship, amidst the parents and the teachers or the child and their peers, to name a few. For example, if the childs parents keep back a good relationship with his or her teacher and are problematical with their statement, this can help encourage learning and promote good behavior and good grades at school. If the parents are not involved at school and do not interact with the childs teacher regularly, the child whitethorn feel as if education is not important and may display poor behavior and grades at school, which affects their learning.The ecological systems theory in addition includes the exosystem. The exosystem consists of people that the child may not interact with on a daily basis but still has an influence on that child such as their neighbors, a coach, a preacher. The exosystem could also consist of sp eckles that may happen to the parents that indirectly affects the child such as promotions or layoffs at work. A promotion or layoff at work determines how the child will be taken care of and impacts their physical needs (Oswalt, 2008). This type of situation can be either negative or positive for the child. A preacher or a coach can be looked upon as a role model or mentor to the child and can be very influential to a child and their development.The last devil levels of the ecological systems theory are the macrosystem and the chronosystem. The macrosystem consists of cultures, nurtures, and laws. The macrosystem describes the culture in which individuals live (Santrock, 2007). The macrosystem has much to do with what is going on in society and how it affects the child. For example, a recession, a war, how society views gender roles, and the childs family values, can all greatly affect the development of a child. This can influence how a child feels about the government, its view s on war, or what the child grows up to value. The chronosystem is life events that can alter or change how the child feels about certain things or situations. For example, any transition such as a death of a parent, a birth of another child, or a divorce can change the views of a child.Bronfenbrenners ecological theory of development has helped to condition my development because as I was a young child, my parents were affectionate and nurturing towards myself and my siblings, we were elevated in a positive, stable, and structured environment, and my parents supported a good education and were involved with our teachers in school. The way my parents raised me has helped me to become a great mother to my son. I punish to make sure that the people in his microsystem that he deals with directly are positive in order to help him develop and grow into a positive individual. I consider myself to be nurturing and supportive towards my son. We have a good relationship and I try to raise him a positive environment as well. I enlighten in him, the values that my parents instilled in me. Since my levels in the ecological system were positive as I was growing up, I feel that it has influenced me to become a well-rounded individual. It has helped me to have morals, values, and self-respect.The levels in my ecological system have influenced me to value education and to insufficiency to pursue an education on the graduate level. Because I take my role as a mother seriously, I want to offer my son the best life possible. This means that I have to be a great provider for him, which includes having a stable telephone line that pays well and working in a career that I enjoy. I have always enjoyed learning about child development and I currently work with children in the mental health field. Obtaining a have the bests degree will help me to be able to develop and grow personally and more professionally so that I can be a better provider for my family as well as get a job in the field that I deficiency to pursue. My career goals include working with children and adolescents either in the school system, as a child psychologist or social worker, or in the young justice field. In the future, I hope to continue working with children directly, as a part of their microsystem, in order to make a struggle and be a positive influence to them, as individuals in my microsystem were to me.So, is it impregnable to say that people are a product of their environment? I think Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner did a good job of showing that this can be true by developing the ecological systems theory. However, we still have to be aware of the fact that although a childs environment is very influential to their development, they have the power to change, or transition, their thoughts and beliefs. We must remember that a persons beliefs systems can also be affected by experiences and situations that they encounter throughout life. So, yes our environment is very influential to our development, but we do not have to be a product of our environment since we are able to make changes within ourselves to become who we want to be.ReferencesDarling, N. (2007). Ecological Systems Theory The Person in the Center of the Circles. p. 204. Retrieved celestial latitude 20, 2012 from http//www.uamont.edu/facultyweb/brown/PSY4683/Darling(2007).pdf Fox, M. (2005). Urie Bronfenbrenner renowned effectiveness on child development. New York Times News Service. Retrieved December 20, 2012 from http//www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051002/news_mz1j2urie.html Oswalt, A. (2008). Urie Bronfenbrenner and nipper Development. Retrieved December 21, 2012 from http//www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=7930&cn=28 Paquette, D. & Ryan, J. (2001). Bronfenbrenners Ecological Systems Theory. Retrieved December 20, 2012 from http//people.usd.edu/mremund/bronfa.pdf Santrock, J. (2007). Bronfenbrenners Ecological Systems Theory. Retrieved December 20, 2012from http//impactofspec ialneeds.weebly.com/bronfenbrennerrsquos-ecological-systems-theory.html