Abstract
The Brohfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development is a context that explains the role of ecology on our growth and development. The theory projects how resiliency and other factors prompting our development mentally. The incorporation of resiliency as a subject in learning theories based on societal contexts is an important milestone. Resiliency in the Brohfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development plays a role in making us respond to adversity. The context of adversity is wide, in the theory, adversity reflects conditions and implications that might adversely affect our lives (Brohfenbrenner, 1990).
The theory depicts how a child influences are by her own biology which is a primary environment. This prompts the Childs development. This process collates with how our response to adversity comes as mastering and learning the ways of life. It is self-education aimed at creating insulation against impending adversity. This paper explores how Brohfenbrenner’s levels of influence shape our development as humans.
Introduction
The Brohfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development structures the environment into a chart where human life is centered. Human life dwells, develops, and feeds from the ecology. The structure of environment is entrenched in sub-environments. The micro-system is the closest to a child. It is what prompts relationships and subsequently leads to interaction. The child relates with her parents and the environment leading to bi-directional influences as explained by Bronfenbrenner.
The other constituents of the environment structure are the mesosystem, exosystem, chrono-system, and the macro-system. Each has a significant impact on the growth and development of a child. The impact of the ecology/environment on the child prompts growth. The child develops social cognitive abilities. The quality of the environment is what determines the child’s physical and cognitive development (Brohfenbrenner, 1990). This gradual growth and development lead to maturity. However, throughout the child’s life, the environment that surrounds him is what manages his continued development.
The academic development of the child depends on its environment. Nature compels the child to learn the way of life around him. His parents, friends, and other siblings become role models. What they do inspires a child. The child adopts education as a core life process. This is how nature prompts a learning attitude through adoption of behavior. Cognitive behavior is adopted from the environment we live in. Our habits are borrowed from what we have learned from our immediate environment. Children pick habits they observe from their parents and peers. Education is inspired by achievements observed in the environment.
Literature review
How did our immediate environment prompt us to ape education? It is argued that, we cannot evaluate, assess, and measure mental development. However, we can observe growth and development of a child. We can observe the development of a child gradually as it develops to adulthood. Our behaviors are borrowed from our environment. The environment is not the ecosystem, it reflects all that is around us including environmental conditions, human activity, and technology. Our background in academic work is based on what from the onset of our childhood we learned and were inspired with.
Educating a child involves cooperation between parents, the society, and most importantly, the parents. Children tend to emulate what adults do. The activities that parents engage in will directly affect their children. The kids pick up habits, language, and trends that their parents have adopted. You are your Child’s mirror. The child emulates you, she wants to engage in what you do in your everyday life. Adults have played significant roles in facilitating education. Parent involvement is a core process in educating a child. Parents (LaBahn, 1995) influence successful children in school. It is true that it takes a village to raise a child a reason why greater achievements have been observed in children who come from children from family and society.
The relationship between our development and environment is based on how society relates to us. Fine conditions prompt indulgence in the same. If we live and relate with scholars, we end up being scholars. According to Brohfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development, our educational stability is because of what our society inspires. Most successful children in school come from successful backgrounds. The environment refers to the background. Brohfenbrenner argues that the instability of our families is one of the most destructive forces on a child’s development. Children from poor backgrounds are unable to perform and make distinctive achievements in life since they are unable to utilize the opportunities in life. The inability to utilize opportunities is due to lack of resources and networks that can help them achieve such objectives in principal. Brohfenbrenner further projects that children lack consistent mutual interactions with important adults. This is very important for the child’s development (Brohfenbrenner, 1990).
Brohfenbrenner ecological theory argues that a child needs these relationships in the microsystem. Lack of these relationships breaks down the child subsequently denying him the tools required to learn, explore, and understand other parts of the environment he is living in. Most of these affirmations are important during adolescence. However, if they were missing in childhood, then the signs of the deficiency will present themselves through irresponsible behavior, negative attitudes towards education, anti-social behaviors, and lack of self-direction (Berk, 2000).
My immediate environment educated me to be respectful, disciplined, and wise. Due to my background, learning was a process that surrounding me everywhere. My father was a teacher and my mother was working as a high school bursar. My aunts were teachers and my cousins were brilliant young scholars. I was surrounded by education and I took the path of knowledge. Learning each process in our society, understanding the social setting and upholding high values in the society became a characteristic.
The environment I lived in provided knowledge and influences. It was a way of facilitating my education. I was inspired and focused. The society, the educators, and my parents were great resources and I took everything they taught and wanted of me seriously. Eventually, I found myself indulged in the process of acquiring education. My objective is to become a successful educator and entrepreneur who can give back to the society in equal measures.
How do Brohfenbrenner’s levels of influence shape our development?
According to the Brohfenbrenner ecological theory, our development since childhood depends on what surrounds us. This is what we refer to as our environment. My biology and environment played a central role in my change and growth. This is based on the extent of my interactions during my ongoing development. Due to a fine environment, I adopted fine characters and a very intelligent way of thinking. I took up positive behavior and borrowed the habits of people around me. The habits are fine. I learned how to use the fork and the knife since I wanted to be noble and well-mannered like people I saw on the television and our visitors who used forks, spoons, and knives (Berk, 2000).
My father was always studying books and writing notes. I took up the habit and loved reading. This is indicative of ecological systems at work, influencing me and molding me to be one of them. Here, the quality of the environment and the subject of the child’s surroundings are the focus. The interaction of the child (me) with the environment is complex. This complexity comes up because of cognitive and physical structures as the child grows and matures to adulthood.
This context is based on Brohfenbrenner’s theory. It is actually within the ecosystem, which is a layer of the ecology. It explains the superior ecosystem or the society. The child does not function within this environment directly rather, the structure influences the child’s growth and development by interacting with the child’s Microsystems structures. Here the child subscribes to the parents a daily schedule, the community setting, and family resources. There is limited child involvement however, he responds to the environment base on what the environment proffers. This means either the child responds positively or negatively to the forces, he is involved within the interaction processes. During this process, a child’s social cognitive abilities develop and gradually advance (Edwards, & Young, 1992).
How these Brohfenbrenner’s theory levels influence our decision to pursue academia
The macro-system level of Brohfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development structures is important in modeling our way of thinking and perceiving things. This level is considered the outermost layer in our childhood environment. This layer exposes the child to customs, cultural values and the morals and laws. Through observation and communication, a child develops interest in various social contexts. Education is a key context and it is lobbied for by the society (Addison, 1992).
Personally, developing academically has been a decision I could not go back on. The people in the society have achieved many things including entrepreneurship. They have become important members of society and are revered for their academic achievements and corporate accomplishments. Their profiles became what every parent and member of society wished the young children could take up after. I was among these inspired kids. I took up education, promising myself to achieve the highest distinct level there is, just like them. On the chrono-system level, the period and dimension of time relate to my environment inspiring me to achieve my education goals.
Summary
Brohfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development draws out a path through which a child develops to adulthood (Addison, 1992). The child gradually learns from his environment. The child adopts the trends and apes to be like the people who have done well in the environment he is brought up in. Brohfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory of Development structures is a clear path through which childhood and adulthood are accomplished. How we grow and what we become are determined and influenced by the environment we live in. How parents bring up their children determines the child’s future. A kid will pick up the parent’s habits. She will speak like the parent, behave, and relate like the parent. As such, our environment should be good enough to supply our children with the necessary knowledge and inspire them with hope and optimism to excel in life.
References
Addison, J. T. (1992). Urie Brohfenbrenner. Human Ecology. 16-23.
Berk, L.E. (2000). Child Development (5th Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 23-38
Brohfenbrenner, U. (1990). Discovering what families do. In Rebuilding the Nest: A New Commitment to the American Family. Family Service America. Web.
Edwards, P., & Young, L. (1992). Beyond parents: Family, community, and school involvement. Phi Delta Kappan, 17-67
LaBahn, J. (1995). Education and parental involvement in secondary schools: Problems, solutions, and effects. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University.