Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory

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Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory (sometimes referred to as the bioecological theory) identify the major features of this theory (the 5 systems in particular) and critically apply them to your own life, evaluating how well they explain your development. I am 48, female, married and a mother of two girls. I am educated, a scientist, a liberal socialist and involved in my community. I am an environmentalist and a teacher. I love to read, play silly board games with my family, walk my dog on the beach, spend hours in my garden and cook. I am often extrovert but can be shy. Mostly I am happy and content with life but some things make me frustrated, angry or sad. I have had many roles, lived in many places and experienced many environments. Having worked out who I am does Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory explain my development and how I came to be the way I am? In his book, “The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design” (published in 1979) Bronfenbrenner states that his theory describes interrelating structures and processes in immediate and remote environments as they shape the course of human development. He sees development as a lasting change in the way in which a person perceives and deals with his or her environment and models his theory as a set of nested structures like Russian dolls. While his models are system based rather than about linear variables he also states that during life we go through ecological transitions where our roles and expected behaviours will change. I will attempt to take Bronfenbrenner’s model and match it with my own development, focusing on key transitions to see if they usefully explain my own personal development. Above is a diagram (source: edfd 127.wikispaces.com) illustrating Bronfenbrenner’s model, it shows the five layers in the nest analogy, first the Microsystem or immediate environs

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