Ecological Systems Theory

You and Your Environment

Otherwise known as the Human Ecology Theory, the Ecological Systems theory states that

human development is influenced by the different types of environmental systems.

Formulated by famous psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner, this theory helps us understand

why we may behave differently when we compare our behavior in the presence of our

family and our behavior when we are in school or at work.

The Five Environmental Systems

The ecological systems theory holds that we encounter different environments throughout
our lifespan that may influence our behavior in varying degrees. These systems include the
micro system, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macro system, and the chronosystem.

1. The Micro System

The micro system's setting is the direct environment we have in our lives. Your family,
friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors and other people who have a direct contact with
you are included in your micro system. The micro system is the setting in which we have
direct social interactions with these social agents. The theory states that we are not mere
recipients of the experiences we have when socializing with these people in the micro
system environment, but we are contributing to the construction of such environment.

2. The Mesosystem

The mesosytem involves the relationships between the microsystems in one's life. This
means that your family experience may be related to your school experience. For example, if
a child is neglected by his parents, he may have a low chance of developing positive attitude
towards his teachers. Also, this child may feel awkward in the presence of peers and may
resort to withdrawal from a group of classmates.

3. The Exosystem

The exosystem is the setting in which there is a link between the context where in the
person does not have any active role, and the context where in is actively participating.
Suppose a child is more attached to his father than his mother. If the father goes abroad to
work for several months, there may be a conflict between the mother and the child's social
relationship, or on the other hand, this event may result to a tighter bond between the
mother and the child.

4. The Macrosystem

The macrosystem setting is the actual culture of an individual. The cultural contexts involve
the socioeconomic status of the person and/or his family, his ethnicity or race and living in a
still developing or a third world country. For example, being born to a poor family makes a
person work harder every day.

5. The Chronosystem

The chronosystem includes the transitions and shifts in one's lifespan. This may also involve
the socio-historical contexts that may influence a person. One classic example of this is how
divorce, as a major life transition, may affect not only the couple's relationship but also their
children's behavior. According to a majority of research, children are negatively affected on
the first year after the divorce. The next years after it would reveal that the interaction
within the family becomes more stable and agreeable.

URIE BRONFENBRENNER AND CHILD

One final developmental theory needs to be addressed, even though it's not a stage
theory. Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) developed the ecological systems theory
to explain how everything in a child and the child's environment affects how a child
grows and develops. He labeled different aspects or levels of the environment that
influence children's development, including the microsystem, the mesosystem, the
exosystem, and the macrosystem. The microsystem is the small, immediate
environment the child lives in. Children's microsystems will include any immediate
relationships or organizations they interacts with, such as their immediate family or
caregivers and their school or daycare. How these groups or organizations interact
with the child will have an effect on how the child grows; the more encouraging and
nurturing these relationships and places are, the better the child will be able to grow.
Furthermore, how a child acts or reacts to these people in the microsystem will
affect how they treat her in return. Each child's special genetic and biologically
influenced personality traits, what is known as temperament, end up affecting how
others treat them. This idea will be discussed further in a later document about child
temperament.

Bronfenbrenner's next level, the mesosystem, describes how the different parts of a
child's microsystem work together for the sake of the child. For example, if a child's
caregivers take an active role in a child's school, such as going to parent-teacher
conferences and watching their child's soccer games, this will help ensure the child's
overall growth. In contrast, if the child's two sets of caretakers, mom with step-dad
and dad with step-mom, disagree how to best raise the child and give the child
conflicting lessons when they see him, this will hinder the child's growth in different
channels.

The exosystem level includes the other people and places that the child herself may
not interact with often herself but that still have a large effect on her, such as
parents' workplaces, extended family members, the neighborhood, etc. For example,
if a child's parent gets laid off from work, that may have negative affects on the child
if her parents are unable to pay rent or to buy groceries; however, if her parent
receives a promotion and a raise at work, this may have a positive affect on the child
because her parents will be better able to give her her physical needs.

Bronfenbrenner's final level is the macrosystem, which is the largest and most
remote set of people and things to a child but which still has a great influence over
the child. The macrosystem includes things such as the relative freedoms permitted
by the national government, cultural values, the economy, wars, etc. These things
can also affect a child either positively or negatively.