Uri Urie Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory

As individuals we develop a lot from our surrounding, it could be through family relationships, friendships, and so much more. This paper looks at the significance of the ecological systems theory proposed by psychologist, Urie Bronfenbrenner, and its profound impact on children’s development. Bronfenbrenner sees development as a lasting change in the way in which a person perceives and deals with his or her environment and models his theory as a set of nested structures. His models are system based and also states that during life we go through transitions where our roles and expected behaviors will change. Bronfenbrenner believed that environmental influences play pivotal roles in the development of a child’s domains. In order to foster development of the child’s domains, the environment should be one that provides rich opportunities for growth. …show more content…
He moved to the United States when he was six years old. Bronfenbrenner attended Cornell University, where he completed a double major in psychology and music in 1938. He then went on to Harvard University and then the University of Michigan where he received his Ph.D. in 1942. After his Ph.D. he served in the Army, was assistant Professor in Psychology at the University of Michigan, and then a professor at Cornell University. While at the Cornell University he became co-founder of the Head Start program in the United States for disadvantaged pre-school children. In 1979, while at Cornell University, he released the book “The Ecology of Human Development”. In the book for the first time he introduced the Ecological Systems Theory. The five levels for the model are the Microsystem, the Mesosystem, the Exosystem, the Macrosystem, and the Chronsystem. Bronfenbrenner notes that we cannot fully understand development without considering how a person is influenced by each of these