What is Bronfenbrenner’s Theory?
PSY FPX 6020 Assessment 1 Knowledge of the stages of child and adolescent development and their vulnerability to environmental influences is crucial for developmental psychologists. This lecture discusses Bronfenbrenner’s theory, its application in personal life, and the pressures and challenges of teenagers. Additionally, strengths and weaknesses of Bronfenbrenner’s theory in comprehending children and teenagers are discussed.
Bioecological Theory in Practice
Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory offers a framework to quantify community disaster resilience, prioritize interventions, and assess outcomes (Boon et al., 2012). Boon et al. (2012) emphasize systematic examination of resilience theory, with emphasis on resilience as an attribute and a process. The theory allows modeling and quantifying resilience at varying scales, making it possible to conduct studies on resilience (Boon et al., 2012). Shelton (2018) emphasizes the macro-level aspects of the environment, where similarities within settings in broader environments are given attention, termed as “society” or “culture.” Additionally, a temporal system is able to incorporate environmental changes within a child’s life, for instance, divorce or relocation away from parents.
PSY FPX 6020 Assessment 1 Bronfenbrenner’s Theory on Development
Understanding Bronfenbrenner’s Theory
Bronfenbrenner’s theory premises that the learning environment is comprised of interrelated systems and subsystems influencing the development of adolescents (Lau & Ng, 2014).
The environmental subsystems include the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. The microsystem, which centers on the everyday experience of the person, is a vital subsystem (Lau & Ng, 2014). Bronfenbrenner (1979) accentuates the fact that very important elements within the environment have direct impacts on individuals. Interactions between various environments, the family not being immediate, shape a child’s development (Shelton, 2018).
Applications of Bronfenbrenner’s Theory Today
PSY FPX 6020 Assessment 1 Bronfenbrenner’s theory can be applied to understanding and addressing contemporary issues of children and youths.Problems such as bullying, peer victimization, and the current pandemic deeply affect their lives.Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory is applied by psychologists in the assessment of mental, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral health, particularly in times of crisis (Eriksson et al., 2018).
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates mental illness, affecting family functioning and the well-being of children (Prime et al., 2020). Family systems theory focuses on interdependence among members of a family, where stress in one member affects the entire family (Prime et al., 2020).
Conclusion
Bronfenbrenner theory offers insights for transcending the challenge of today, COVID-19 pandemic included. An application of proximal processes that are the core of the theory and which included caregiver-child relationships points to the theory’s implications. Interdisciplinary approaches to how the pandemic hit families and children point to the need for ecological orientation in interpretation as well as response to such challenges.
References
Boon, H. J., Cottrell, A., King, D., Stevenson, R. B., & Millar, J. (2012). Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory for modeling community resilience to natural disasters. Natural Hazards, 60(2), 381-408. Eriksson, M., Ghazinour, M., & Hammarstrom, A. (2018). Different Uses Of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory In Public Mental Health Research: What Is Their Value For Guiding Public Mental Health Policy And Practice? Social Theory & Health, 414-433.
PSY FPX 6020 Assessment 1 Bronfenbrenner’s Theory on Development
Lau, J., & Ng, K. (2014). Conceptualizing the Counseling Training Environment Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory. International Journal for Advancement of Counseling, 36(4), 423-439. Prime, H., Wade, M., & Brown, D. T. (2020). Risk and resilience in family well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Psychologist, 75(5), 631-643. Shelton, L. (2018). The Bronfenbrenner primer: A guide to develecology. ProQuest Ebook Central.http://www.seedcoalition.org/downloads/mercury_developing_brain.pdf
