Here comes another valuable piece of writing e.g. Bronfenbrenner Ecological Models of Human Development, from the Islamabad ISB Rehab Clinic IRCL. As a human child comes to this world, the journey of his development has started from the day of the conception of his or her zygote. After that, the individual passes through different stages of biological, psychological, and social development. There are many theories of life span development. Hence, Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development is one of them. Human ecology theory describes the interactions of individuals with five basic systems. The Bronfenbrenner Ecological Model of Human Development affirms that human development is influenced by the different types of environmental systems. It was developed by the famous psychologist, Urie Bronfenbrenner.

He developed the most differentiated and comprehensive approach to human development that focuses on the contextual influences on development. It also describes that we encounter different environments that may influence our lifespan development positively or negatively based upon a specific environment. Environmental influences determine our psychological health, interpersonal relationships, and our habits.

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of development says that a person’s development is affected by many different levels of their current environment. the biologically influenced dispositions of a child join with environmental forces to mold development. Bronfenbrenner envisions the environment as a series of nested structures, including but extending beyond the home, school, neighborhood, and workplace settings in which people spend their everyday lives. The author also states that each layer of the environment has a powerful impact on development.

Systems from the Bronfenbrenner Ecological Models of Human Development:

Microsystem:

The innermost level of the environment is called the microsystem. It involves activities and interaction patterns in the immediate surroundings of a person. Bronfenbrenner focuses that at this level, human development depends on bidirectional relationships such as adults affecting the behavior of children, but attributes, personalities, and capacities of children which are biologically and socially influenced also affect the behavior of adults. Bidirectional interactions have a long-lasting impact on development and affect the quality of relationships between two people. If they are supportive, that would enhance their interaction. If parents are not enjoying healthy marital relationships, then the child may become hostile, which influences the child-parent relationship negatively.

The microsystem is the direct environment we have in our lives. It’s based on immediate environmental interactions. The nature of these interactions is based on an individual’s direct contact with family, friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors, and other people. The Bronfenbrenner ecological models of human development theory suggest that we are not just receivers of the experiences we have when socializing directly with these people in the microsystem environment but also contribute to the construction of such an environment. If we are reluctant or hesitant in reaching out, not good at making good friends or this direct interaction is not emotionally stable, then it may cause psychological problems in children such as emotional instability and interpersonal conflicts.

Mesosystem in Bronfenbrenner Ecological Models of Human Development

The mesosystem involves the relationship links between the microsystems in one’s life, such as the relationships between family and peers, which may influence one’s social care school experiences. For instance, if parents neglect their child, he may have the least chance of developing a positive attitude towards his teachers. Further, children may feel uncomfortable in the presence of peers and may resort to withdrawal from a group of classmates or may indulge in criminal activities or drug abuse to overcome solitude.

Exosystem

The exosystem consists of social settings which are not immediate but are linked with formal organizations such as an individual’s workplace, community, and neighborhood. Furthermore, in these settings, there is a link between the contexts of one’s active and passive role, such as a situation where one has a passive role and one where one has to participate actively.

For instance, a child is more attached to his father as compared to his mother. If the father travels abroad for work or stays for several months, then that may create a conflicting situation in the social relationship between the mother and the child. On the contrary, this event may develop a stronger bond between the child and the mother. Basically, at this stage, a child is indirectly influenced by forces (positively or negatively) that are involved at the stage, such as parents’ financial issues, family social networks, workplace, neighborhood, and community contexts. If the family is positively interacting and effectively managing all roles, then the family has a positive impact on children.

At this level, the support system is informal and children are affected by the social networks of their parents, friends, and extended family members. These informal links give them companionship, advice, and even financial assistance. Past research showed that socially isolated families with few relationship ties and those families who are affected by unemployment show increased rates of conflict and child abuse.

Macrosystem

This setting is the actual culture of an individual. It is composed of cultural values, laws, and other societal norms that influence the child’s other systems of development. This macrosystem has a positive or negative impact on the cognition of children to develop the sense of what is wrong and right. The cultural contexts consist of the socioeconomic status, family, ethnicity, or race of a person living in a still-developing or third world country. Members of a cultural group share a common identity, heritage, and values. A macrosystem is basically the interactions of the person to whom he belongs. Macrosystems evolve from generation to generation over time.

Chronosystem

According to Bronfenbrenner Ecological Models of Human Development, the environment is not a static force that influences people uniformly but rather involves dynamics and changes. This system involves transitions and shifts in one’s lifespan. These ecological transitions are the most important turning points of development, such as starting schooling, marrying, joining an occupational organization, becoming parents, getting a divorce, etc. Adjustment to these transitions depends on their age, their physical, intellectual, and personality characteristics, and their environmental opportunities.

These transitions may involve socio-historical contexts that may impact a person either positively or negatively, as a result of trauma caused by wars, natural disasters, etc. Moreover, one common example of this is divorce, as a major life transition that may affect not only the relationship of a couple but also the psychological well-being of their children.

According to a majority of research, the first year after a divorce has devastating effects on children and negatively affects their wellness. The next years after it would reveal or enhance the probability of stable and agreeable interactions within the family. These transitions are external and internal as well. External transitions are parents’ deaths, or other environmental contingencies or natural disasters. Internal transitions include physiological disabilities or other diseases. Historical influences also negatively impact the development and depend on how a family or child responds to such stressors.

Hence, according to Bronfenbrenner Ecological Models of Human Development, development is not explained by a single factor’s contribution; thus it’s neither controlled by environmental factors nor determined by inner dispositions. People are products and also the producers of their environments, so both people and their environments form a network that affects their development.

The author of the Bronfenbrenner Ecological Models of Human Development works for a top-notch center for drug addiction treatment in Islamabad.