In applying Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory to my avatar the following essay represents how the physiological and physical structures that surround my avatar interact with each other and influentially manipulate the child’s development.

The child is situated at the inner core of the model; the systems that are closer to the child encompass the people and places in which the avatar spends most of his time. These inner systems ultimately have an added direct impact on the child in comparison to the outer structures of Bronfenbrenner’s model.

Situated in the microsystem is the avatars parents, friends, class groups and neighbourhood, the important aspect of this system is the direct contact and interaction that occurs between the child and his support networks. As Haiku’s parents work long hours and are very rarely at home with their son, Haiku has learnt to become a very independent teenager who has been influenced to value intellectual and monetary success. His ethics and morals have been heavily structured around the importance of education and as a result Haiku’s ability to participate in extracurricular activities has been disregarded. Inevitably his few friends mimic similar values so his exposure to different life ideals has been limited. The fast paced high density community in which Haiku lives is a very individualistic neighbourhood, contributing little nurture towards the child.

The mesosystem provides a connection between the different foundations within the microsystem. The lack of connection with Haiku and his parents has triggered poor social skills, and in effect Haiku has had difficulty in connecting with his peers and establishing friendships. This connection that occurred between support networks in the microsystem is an example of how the mesosystem and microsystem are linked.

The structures in the exosystem impact the child’s development by interacting with some structure in his microsystem (Berk, 2000). As the workplace of his parents affects their mood, financial stability and working hours, this in turn affects Haiku also. As a result of his parents wealth Haiku attends a private grammar school, instead of attending his local government school. Such influences occur within the exosystem. Community projects, for example the construction of a local park that Haiku attends on a daily basis are another indirect network that has directly affected Haiku.

The outermost layer of the child’s development is the macrosystem; technological advances, society, customs and economic patterns within this layer extend beyond the macrosystem influencing the other systems as well. The internet for example has become a very dominant form of learning and communication in Haiku’s life, this technological advancement has adapted the learning processes within his school and the way in which he communicates with his teachers and peers. As a second generation Australian, Haiku is influenced by both traditional Japanese customs as well as Australian traditions, these influences transpire in the macrosystem.

Finally, as acknowledged by Urie Bronfenbrenner the changes that occur to a child’s environment and the support networks within his microsystem over a period of time define

the occurrences within the chronosystem. Haiku has not experienced any major changes within his environment or family structure throughout his lifetime, but if his parents were to divorce or he was to move house this would be an example of an interaction between the microsystem and the chronosystem. As verified in this document, it is evident that the interaction between Bronfenbrenner’s systems is a key influence in Haiku’s development.

References

Discovering what families do (1990). In Rebuilding the Nest: A New Commitment to the American Family. Family Service America [web site].Retrived March 1, 2009, from http://www.montana.edu/www4h/process.html

Swick and Williams (2006). Early Childhood Education Journal, Vol 3, No. 5. An Analysis of Bronfenbrenner’s Bio-ecological Perspective for Early Childhood Educators: Implications for Working with Families Experiencing Stress. Australian Catholic University: Course Reading

Berk, L.E. (2000). Child Development (5th Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 23-38. Retrieved March 17, 2009, from http://pt3.nl.edu/paquetteryanwebquest.pdf

Nan Bahr and Donna Pendergast (2007). The Millennial Adolescent. Australia’s MilGen adolescents, their schools and educational priorities, pp42-70.