a) Elements of Ecology
In “Kampung Boy”, the author has portrayed an intrinsic biography of a Muslim boy born in Kampong in Perak. How the young boy grows up in rural Malaysia is explained in a vivid fashion, from which the reader is able to draw various inferences on ecological factors and their influence on childhood. The Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Model analyses the child development paradigm in a framework of simple yet meaningful relationships with environment. The essay focuses on how these elements have been embedded in the childhood of the Kampung Boy.
The Microsystem
Urie Bronfenbrenner has identified microsystem as the layer of environment that is within the immediate vicinity of the child. For example, the relationship of a child with parents, siblings, neighbors and nannies may be considered. In Kampung Boy, incidents right from child birth, traditions like gifting the grandmother on the birth of the author, the boy taking care of his baby sister, the moments of fun with his father in the evening can be cited in relation to the Microsystem.
The Mesosystem
Mesosytem includes connections or interactions between different ecosystems which comes in touch with the child as he grows. Some illustrious examples are the relationships between home, church and school. The hair shaving ceremony followed by the feast for neighbors is an example of interaction with ecosystems of family and community. By balancing between studies, hobbies like fishing and swimming, household chores, the interactions between different ecosystems are portrayed.
The Exosystem
Exosystem is indicative of how the larger social system, which may not include people or places that the child directly interacts with, has an effect on his development. “The structures in this layer impact the child’s development by interacting with some structure in her microsystem” (Berk, 2000). Examples include the influence of community, workplaces of parents and the society at large. In the case of the Kampung Boy, his cognizance of the rubber fields from his house, the way the boy observes and helps in rubber processing can be cited with reference to the Exosystem. The Malay Muslim traditions at ceremonies, the rubber plantation workplaces of the boy’s village are examples of how the larger social system impacts the boys mental thought process. “The feeding of her child at the business premise and not at home indicates the involvement of family members as a common trait of family run business” (Taib 2013). Association with nature is brought about when the boy observes nests of weaver birds and catches fireflies.
The Macrosystem
This layer of environment composes the cultural values, traditions and customs. The principles of the macrosystem are influential across all layers of environment. For example the experiences of a child when the country is at war can be considered. The Kampung boy spends his childhood in Malaysian rural area where traditional ceremonies during child birth and growth are aplenty. “In the expressive pages of his work, the author has shown the differences in languages, race, gender, class, ethnicity and identity which are validated through humor and heartfelt emotions” (Taib 2013). The contrast between traditional rural life and modern city life is depicted when the boy visits the town side markets and shops.
The Chronosystem
Chronosystem is concerned with the influence of time when different incidents happen during child development and the resultant influence. The timing of parent’s death or a change in family structure or social status may be viewed as examples. The birth of the Kampung Boy as the first child and the birth of his sister when he was four years old are instances that imply the impact of timelines of the incidents. The author “traces the various episodes of his life which includes his birth, religious classes, family, circumcision, school life and other interesting adventures” (Taib 2013).
Conclusion
It can be inferred that the author has used all elements of ecology of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Model. Depiction of the socio economic structure of rural Malaysia, in contrast with the ecosystems that the boy observes upon leaving the village, leading to home sickness show how closely ecological elements intertwine with human life.
b) The socialisation process
Socialisation is the process where one learns to behave and mingle with others in the society, in a way that is acceptable. It begins when a child starts entering boyhood or girlhood. The elements set out in the Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Model can be applied to the childhood of the Kampung boy as he learns to socialise. These elements have both direct and indirect influences on the way the boy interacts with the society and adapts himself to changing environments.
Family, Friends and Neighbors
The Kampung boy grows in a culture where the institution of family is strong. Cultural values in him are infused by his family and the community. “Because children inherit genes from their parents, children are “prewired” or predisposed to be affected by the environments their parents provide” (Berns & Berns, 2009). The Muslim traditions and values are upheld in ceremonies carried out during his childhood. In many instances, the boy upholds his father with awe and respect. He understands that his father holds an important position at work, is an expert in swimming and lot of other worldly things. The love shown by his mother and grandmother also influences the socialisation process. As the eldest child, the boy cares for his siblings and learns to protect and help them.
The friendship with the Meor brothers at school kindles his interest in swimming and fishing. He learns how to mingle freely with friends, though he does not talk much. The good values instilled by religion are depicted as the boy begins to feel responsible at the age of nine. He imbibes the teachings from the holy Koran. When the teacher uses a cane, the boy begins to feel the need for discipline when interacting with other. As he gets canned for sleeping in class, he learns to be active and alert when listening to others. The interaction with different ecosystems is identified in Mesosytem outlined in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Model.
Community, Workplaces and Macro Environment
The Exosystem defined by Bronfenbrenner influences the boy’s socialisation, when he witnesses the town side market place. He sees people interact with one another in the bus stop and in the tea stall, where he attempts to participate in discussions. The boy attends a Muslim wedding which is the first time he finds himself in the midst of a huge crowd. The boy observes the cabaret dancers from Ipoh town with curiosity. Riding in a car, staying in a relative’s place, participating in Government health sessions organized in school are incidents which exert influences on his behavior with the society, though not directly explicit. His responsibility towards the workplace increases as his father announces his prospective inheritance of his rubber plantation. He falls in love with the countryside and goes to the extent of wishing that the mining company does not find tin in his fields, lest the impact of modernization will affect the rural areas.
Traditions and Value Systems
Traditions and conventions witnesses during childhood have a major impact on the growth from childhood to adolescence. Right from his naming ceremony, admission at Religious school and his circumcision at the age of ten, affect his socialisation process across different ecosystems he encounters. “Finally, the complex of nested, interconnected systems is viewed as a manifestation of overarching patterns of ideology and organization of the social institutions common to a particular culture or subculture” (Bronfenbrenner, 2006).He is a keen observer of customs, which is brought out when he realizes that bridegrooms are late to arrive and when he overhears fight between his parents when his father dances with cabaret girls at the wedding. When the Meor brothers are involved in illegal tin extracting, the boy sees nothing wrong since he finds he is not the only one doing it. Practices that are upheld with respect such as performing well at special examination to get admission into boarding school, makes him responsible in studies.
Timing of Events
Chronosystem or the logical sequence of childhood events also has a role in shaping up the socialisation process. In the case of the Kampung boy, the chronology of events are well portrayed as the he grows from a toddler who is not allowed to go out, to early boyhood stage, when he goes out to rubber plantations, fields and rivers. The birth of two other children, after him make him a responsible eldest son. The opportunity to step out of the village is timed with his learning process, when the boy interacts with people of different ages, localities and economies. Finally, the timing of his departure to Ipoh town for boarding school makes him realize the emotions he has for his society.
Conclusion
The different layers of ecological environment shape up the Kampung boy’s socialisation process. He enters school as an introvert, always staying in the back during conversations. However, the ecosystems of education, friendship and community involvement make him an interactive, courageous and responsible person, with love for the country side. The story ends with the fun-loving, compassionate and social Kampung boy becoming homesick, as he leaves for his boarding school.
c) Personal childhood ecological environment and its bearing on socialization
The application of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Model.to my childhood has enabled me gain deep insights into my social character. I am able to observe the influence of different ecological systems on my childhood. During childhood, my thought process and behavioral patterns were a result of the different groups or layers of ecological systems that I was acquainted with.
The Impact of Family and Relatives
My Microsystem consisted of my mother who was a school teacher and my father who worked in another country. My mother managed to raise me amidst the demanding conditions of her work. I learnt to become independent and to converse with others in a friendly but bold manner. I was able to socialize easily with different age groups of people. “The success of parent and child in communicating with one another depends on the clarity of the messages each sends to the other, and on the openness of each to the other’s messages” (Grusec & Hastings, 2016). My grandmother used to take me along whenever she went out for shopping or for meeting other older ladies in the neighborhood. Observing her help others, guide people in trouble and advice the younger generation, made my socilaisation with the external world easier.
My Behavior across Different Ecosystems
The Mesosystem, in my case, included interactions of my family with school and with the church. As inferred from Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Model, the coexistence of these ecosystems had a say on my socialisation process. I observed with interest when senior teachers in my school used to speak to my parents regarding my academic performance. This instilled both maturity and responsibility in me. My school organized regular Sunday sessions in the church. The interactions between the holy priests and our teachers were eye openers on how religion and education were closely connected.
The Impact of Larger Social system
Bronfenbrenner identifies the exosystem as the ecosystem which does not include the child’s direct physical presence, but yet, influences childhood in a significant way. During child development “[i]mportant contexts are not limited to those with which children have direct contact (e.g., schools), but include macrolevel economic conditions, cultural institutions and values, and public policies” (Gershoff, Mistry, & Crosby, 2013). By listening to my mother’s teaching experiences at her workplace, namely, her school, I used to imagine myself as a teacher. This had an impact on how responsibly I behaved towards younger children. The large residential colony where we lived also comprised of neighbors who were employed in the nearby public welfare organization. I was attracted by their contributions towards cleanliness and pollution control. I found myself speaking in elocution contests on these subjects, as an impact of the exosystem.
The Macrosystem of Customs, Values and Traditions
The next ecological layer in Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Model is the Macrosystem. The impact of traditions and value systems were felt by me throughout my socialisation with the community. For example, it was a custom in my society to gift a bag of rice to poor people every Friday. The logic behind this custom was to cultivate fraternity and compassion. This influenced my behavior towards the less-privileged. I rose up for every cause in the society, as I grew up. My childhood was a time when the Gulf War was fought. Keeping myself abreast with war time incidents, I grew up a child who was well-informed on current affairs. This impact shaped up my pre-teen years as a good public speaker.
Drawing on the Chronological Sequences in the Ecosystem
I can very well apply the Brofenbrenner’s concept of chronosystem to my childhood and my thought process during the growing years. The loss of my Grandfather during my early years as a result of cancer, made me speak up for cancer awareness as I grew up. Also, when my father was unemployed for many months when I was six years old, resulted in considerable economic problems in the family. I found the family adjusting with a different lifestyle. This experience has influenced me so much that I find it quite easy to adapt and socialise with people from diverse economic backgrounds. Other than the aforesaid incidents, my father’s return from abroad, my high school graduation and my mother’s surgery for curing appendicitis were other incidents, the chronological sequence of which, had a potential influence on my socialisation process.
Conclusion
In light of the above personal experiences, understood and analyzed with reference to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Model, it can be well concluded that childhood environment during the growing years has a catalytic role in influencing how the child grows up and socialises with parents, teachers, friends, foes, elders and the community as a whole.
References
Berk, L.E. (2000). Child Development (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 23-38
Berns, R. M., & Berns, I. (2009). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support (8th ed.). Boston, MA, United States: Wadsworth Publishing Co.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (2006). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design (9th ed.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Gershoff, E. T., Mistry, R. S., & Crosby, D. A. (Eds.). (2013). Societal contexts of child development: Pathways of influence and implications for practice and policy. New York, NY, United States: Oxford University Press.
Grusec, J. E., & Hastings, P. D. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of socialization: Theory and research. United States: Guilford Publications.
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