An ecological model is also called an ecosystem model. It is defined as an abstract representation (mathematical) of an ecological system that is used to gain more understanding of the real system. It is formed by the combination of information and, data from field observations with the ecological relations that are known. According to the theory of ecological systems, human development is as a result of the systems of environment that an individual interacts with. Psychologists use this information to study both community and individual behaviour. Urie Bronfenbrenner developed much of the theory of ecological systems.
According Urie Bronfenbrenner, an individual’s development is as a result of five systems. These systems have enabled me understand myself more. The first system that Urie Bronfenbrenner talks about is the Microsystem (Bronfenbrenner, 1972). The Microsystem refers to the groups and institutions that directly impact the development of a child. Good examples are schools, families, religious institutions, peers and the neighbourhoods. Most of my ‘Microsystem’ has been my family. My parents have taught me most of the values I hold dear. My mother always emphasized the importance of respect and honesty. My father has also made his contribution. He taught me that life is not always rosy. He emphasized the significance of hard work and dedication in everything that I undertake. My ‘Microsystem’ would not be complete without my friends too. They have also played a part in shaping who I am.
My friends were a major influence in my development. Some of them had a negative influence, others had positive influence. However, many of them had a part to play. Besides giving me the academic knowledge, my teachers taught me so much. The vices that a child usually develops when he or she is still at a tender age were discouraged by my teachers. There was a time I developed truancy. Nevertheless, I got a correction from none other than the principal. I grew up with all these influences left, right and centre.
The next system that Urie Bronfenbrenner discusses is the ‘Mesosystem’. This system is a combination of an individual’s active role and his or her immediate context. For instance, a child’s experience at school can be influenced by his or her experiences at home (Bronfenbrenner, 1972). If the parents fight at home, then the child’s views will be that parents always fight. This can manifest itself at school. My parents never fought. If they did, they never did it in front of me. They were very cautious in their behaviour around me. Consequently, I developed a great attitude. As I grew up, I knew that there were marriages that work. While some of my friends went through a hard time when their parents got a divorce, I was fortunate not to go through something like that.
Urie Bronfenbrenner also discusses ‘Exosystem’. These are the influences that a person does not have control over. For example, a person may be required to move away from his family because of work commitments. I was fortunate enough to have both my parents around. Both had jobs that did not require them to travel or be away from their family.
The fourth system is the ‘Macrosystem’. This is the culture that is present in the environment where an individual lives. Examples include the culture of ethnicity, poverty and socio-economic status (Salkind, 2006). My ‘Macrosystem’ was an environment of racism. There were less African-Americans and Latinos. Most people were racists. However, my parents taught me to consider everybody the same. No race is supreme. That is what they taught me. They taught me to treat everybody with respect. Therefore, I avoided any racist friends. As a result, I grew up respecting everybody no matter what race they belonged to. Some of my teachers were also racists. They would sometimes say demeaning things about other races.
However, I took my parents’ advice.
The at-risk tree states that an individual is a product of his or her circumstances. For example, if a person grows up in a socio-economic environment that is characterized by poverty, then that person will grow up having a negative or positive perception about poverty. In addition, it dictates behavioural issues (Zerucha, 2013). The circumstance in which a person grows up determines how he or she behaves in the society. For example, a child that grows up in an environment that is characterized by absentee parents will grow up thinking that all parents are usually not there for their children. Likewise, he or she will not be there for his or her children. As I was growing up, I was fortunate enough to have both of my parents there.
Though they were not there all the time because of other commitments, they always made it up. I was fortunate indeed.
In summary, an ecological model is defined as an abstract representation (mathematical) of an ecological system that is used to gain more understanding of the real system. An ecological system describes the way an individual grows up to and what influences the kind of person he or she turns out to be. According Urie Bronfenbrenner, an individual’s development is as a result of five systems. These systems have enabled me understand myself more. In addition, the at-risk tree states that an individual is a product of his or her circumstances. My development has also been influenced by a number of factors. I have discussed some of them. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s theory has enabled me to understand myself better and how the circumstances around me have shaped my life. My attitude development has also been influenced by my experiences, parents, teachers and peers. In short, the ecological model or system defines the holistic development of a person. The influences are all that matters a lot. According to the theory of ecological systems, human development is as a result of the systems of environment that an individual interacts with (Dent-Read & Zukow, 2011).
References
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1972). Influences on human development. Hinsdale, Ill: Dryden Press.
Dent-Read, C., & Zukow, P. G. (2011). Evolving explanations of development: Ecological approaches to organism-environment systems. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
nacce » Ecological theory of Bronfenbrenner. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nacce.org/ecological-theory-of-bronfenbrenner/
Salkind, N. J. (2006). Encyclopedia of human development. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.
Zerucha, T. (2013). Human development. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers.
