Bronfenbrenner

Question 0

Assumptions?

Answer 0

• the scientific approach is essential in understanding human development
• the dvlping child NEVER exists outside sociopolitical, historical and ideological sets of circumstances
• questions of psychology must be questions of CONTEXT

Question 1

Socio-historical location

Answer 1

(29 April) 1917 - 2005 (25 Sep) (88 diabetes)

• born Russian - moved to states age 6
• father psychologist
• university of Michigan (doctorate)
• hired as a psychologist in the American Army

Question 2

Bronfenbrenner defines development as…

Answer 2

“The individual’s evolving conception of the ecological environment, how they relate to it, as well as thier growing capacity to discover, sustain or alter its properties”

Question 3

Explanatory account

Answer 3

> Emphasis the ecological environments
- series of successive layers, each surrounding a smaller sphere (like concentric onion peels/russian dolls)
- each year represents a different level environmental system (eg Microsystems)
Emphasises multi-person systems of interaction
In all systems, the Indis experiences are understood in relation to SETTING, EXPERIENCE & ROLE

Question 4

The Microsystem

Answer 4

Immediate context in which individual exists - directly impacts the person
- bi-directional relationships - complex relations between dvlping person and significant others/important figures

Question 5

Mesosystem

Answer 5

A system of Microsystems

• interrelations among two or more settings in which developing person actively participants
• form when there is movement to a new setting

Question 6

Setting, Experience and Role

Answer 6

Setting - a place where people can readily engage in face-to-face interaction
Role - a set of behaviours and expectations associated with a position in society

Question 7

Experience

Answer 7

The ways in which the objective properties of environments are perceived by people in these environments

Question 8

Exosystem

Answer 8

Social settings or organisational settings that extend beyond the child’s immediate sphere of experience
- nevertheless, affect his/her development
(Eg world of work)

Question 9

Formal settings

Answer 9

Eg health care systems, neighbourhood, parents work

Question 10

Informal settings

Answer 10

Eg parents or siblings circle of friends, social support group

Question 11

Macrosystem

Answer 11

Includes all overarching institutional structures related to a culture or subculture

• eg political, social, legal systems through which other systems become manifest
• values, practices, traditions of society form part of the Microsystem
• this system spreads info, discourse, ideologies to smaller systems which will eventually influence the interrelationship within these systems

Question 12

Chronosystem

Answer 12

The effects that the dimension of time has on dvlpment

Question 13

2 ways of the Chronosystem

Answer 13

1. Events and transitions which occur over the child’s lifespan
2. The unique socio-historical placement of the individual

Question 14

Ecological transition

Answer 14

An ecological transition occurs whenever a person’s position in the ecological environment is altered as the result of a change in ROLE, SETTING or both
- may occur throughout the lifespan and at any of the 4 levels of ecological environments

Question 15

Weaknesses

Answer 15

• it is a DIFFICULT explanatory model to APPLY
• scope TOO EXTENSIVE
• how feasible is the consideration of everything

Question 16

The scope is too extensive

Answer 16

Model may be difficult to apply due to its breadth, as almost everything is considered to influence the development of the child

Question 17

Strengths

Answer 17

• Focuses on both the indi and the environment (non-deterministic)
• systemic - incorporates all aspects of the env - ie settings, relationships, interconnections, etc to the study of dvlpmt