The Five Interrelated Systems of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory determines the child’s development at different stages of life. The theory determines those relationships extend to affect the children’s life at different stages of life in relation to the cultural values, laws, and customs.
I can justify about the concepts of my life by considering the five systems of life which are defined by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory including microsystem, mesosystem, ecosystem, macrosystem and the chronosystem. I found all the five systems interrelated with each other’s as all of them determine some of the cultural values (Pamela 2022).
Microsystem: According to the first system, which is the microsystem, I found that I had direct contact with my family, relatives, friends and teachers. The microsystem took place when I was too younger, at age 5. My relationships with the microsystem were meant to be bi-directional and were influenced by the people surrounding me. Their actions meant a lot to me. If someone shouted at me, I started crying Infront of everyone, even without realizing who outsider was standing there. Furthermore, when my father showed love to me, I loved to show affection to him. Thus, I can say that my interaction with the people was on my personal behalf, and I had a strong relationship with my parents. I tended to get affected by a very small point of scolding behaviours and by the loving manner. In my school too, I used to be very frank with all my colleagues and afraid of my teachers, as they were new to me and I was not aware of their faces. At that time, I used to justify people’s nature by their looks.
Mesosystem: The other system, called mesosystem, is the second environmental factor that tends to affect me in interaction with the same people in my surroundings but in different ways. I used to understand their expressions and moods of anger and affection. However, the expressions were interconnected with their expressions and my feelings. I used to know about the good relationship with the people in my surroundings so that I could get the positive effects of the surrounding in my life. Generally, in this phase, my parents had the interaction with my teachers whenever teachers had something to talk about me. Moreover, the interaction also tended to occur between my friend’s parents with my parents, and I got used to it.
Ecosystem: although, this is not the system that may be affected me in a direct way, as the ecosystem tends to incorporate various formal and informal structures of the society. My neighbourhood parent’s friends and the mass media were involved in this system, which tended to affect my life in a very little scenario. Often, when my parents observed the things surrounding their environment, some of the things could come with a negative influence on their minds. At the same time, if I might be performing any mishapperni8ng, they used it to scold me without any specific reason. Although this was a negative experience that could affect my life in various means, my parents also tended to pamper me after some time so that their anger could not have any negative influence on my life. At the age of 9 years. I also visualized that my parent has various struggle in their personal life, too. Alongside that issue, they had to handle various home-related responsibilities. At this stage, I got used to various altering changes in my surroundings. I used to control my anger and became somewhat concerning related to my family and my friends. Although I had not had much knowledge of the governmental policies at that stage, my school system contained all the facilities that a child could need. I had better teachers in my school curriculum with all the proper facilities of the equipment, including playing instruments, emergency equipment, and a proper education system focusing on the children’s mental development Guy-Evans, 2020).
Microsystem
Macrosystem: Macrosystem is the fourth component of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which applies to my life in the sense that cultural elements provide ethnicity to my life. The development of my life is also influenced by the other broader factors of the culture. Various beliefs and perceptions of life are impacted by culture, society and social outcomes. The life around my culture was so restricted as the people of surrounding were not much supportive of the outdoor activities. The cultural sarcasm was present in the culture, which was playing the opposite role to foster the nurturing relationship with the other people. However, the most affectionate thing that I noticed was that all the functions and festivals were held together, which was the source of increased happiness among all the people.
Chronosystem: chronosystem is the useful dimension of my life that has demonstrated various changes and constancy of the environmental influences on my life. Through this system, I came to know about the close cycle of the employment status of my parents and various alterations in structures that addresses the changing/constant behaviours of my parents. The system has changed a lot in context to the diversity and variations in acts Guy-Evans, 2020).
Effects of the theory that I experienced in my life from the environment
From my family, neighbours, culture, and school curriculum, I have learned a lot from a mixed experience. I came to know about the knowledge of multiple factors affecting the ecological system, which are essential for a better understanding of development-related concerns. I typically found myself enmeshed in a variety of the cultural beliefs affected by the environmental and ecological system. The experience that I gained from society and culture proved to be inevitable, interactive and influential in all the terms of life. The knowledge of theories of the developmental life provides the morale over all the inclusions to the future development in the career and meeting with the diverse relationships by adding the concepts of skills, encouragement, practical application of both the theories and the enhanced ability of the people to perform the works as there occur various development related issues that cone more commonly among the people at all the life stages the current student affair (Perron, 2017).
Bowlby attachment theory is another developmental theory that tends to combine the mixed phenomenon of my life development through various stages. This theory was generated by Mary Ainsworth in 1970, where the theorist Mary Ainsworth observed various contexts of the relationships that affect the parents as well as the children. The theory not only applies to infants but also to younger children. The procedure involved in this theory provides the inclusive eight episodes of behaviours from children towards caregivers (Pamela 2022).
According to the situation classification of an assessment technique introduced by Mary Ainsworth, I can impose the situations of my life. It is deemed that when I seem to be attached to my caregiver, not only my parents but also to my culture and environmental relationships. Moreover, I observe a feeling of devastation when I get separated from that particular person. Mainly because being an adult, it is difficult to express the feeling of pain in words and hands. It becomes difficult to express the feeling of pain, which is escalated from separation from my loved one.
Mesosystem
Relation to the emotional relationship possessing the positive and negative attitudes in my life
Mainly a very close emotional relationship provided by the primary Carriers is usually considered as my parents as they showcase a particular behaviour towards me it tends to fluctuate my actions which are directly proportional to the behaviour of parents. There is a working model which is determined by the behaviour example, when parents show the emotion of love and positivity towards me. Moreover, I tend to feel a sense of security around my parents; however, on the other hand, when the I feel unlocked or is being rejected by my parents, I tend to develop the feeling of avoidant the parents, which is a major cause of negative actions that involved me in bad habits. Another important characteristic of the behaviour of a parent is that when the parents tend to showcase anger or a sense of confusion, making me resistant to that behaviour which becomes a negative aspect (Fearon & Schuengel, 2021).
There is attachment research which is carried out usually on infants, and mainly young children, are considered for the research. There is attachment research which is usually inclusive of young children and infants, and this psychologist Mary Ainsworth has devised various settle ways, which is inclusive of observational method and strain situation procedure. This research talks about the differences in an individual, which can be shown through the attachment procedure and mainly the strange situation classification is inclusive of the children who are under the age of 2-3. Using the parameters of strain situation for determining the behaviours pertaining to the nature of attachment and style helps store showcase the difference in the behaviour observed in the child. Majorly under the classification of strain situation method, there are four interaction behaviours that are focused on the mother when it comes to the episodes of reunion. Majorly episode 5 and 8 talks about contacting, speaking, and maintaining. This was also inclusive of the proximity along with the avoidance of proximity and contact. According to the theory outlined by the psychologist, resistance to contact and comfort is also seen.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/mary-ainsworth.html
The three phases are described as below:
- Insecure Avoidant
- Secure Attachment
- Insecure Ambivalent / Resistant
Under the insecure-avoidant region, usually, I do not orient as per the attachment figures when they are investing in any environment and accordingly, they do not seek any kind of contact with the attachment figure when they are feeling a sense of distress (Shaver et al., 2021).
Under the Secure Attachment, I tended to be attached to the parents and feel confident when I get them available in need.
The next phase includes the Insecure Ambivalent / Resistant phase, under which I tend to exhibit clingy and dependent behaviour and reject the attachment figure engaged in interaction (McLeod, 2018).
Conclusion
From the knowledge of Bowlby & Ainsworth Attachment Theory, I can get very relevant in my life development. Both theories suggest the impact of the climate, parents, neighbours, teachers and other outer members in developing various negative and positive attitudes in my life. For example, I feel attached and secure under my parents’ guidance. However, avoidance or ignorance by them make be in developing the negative attitudes towards society. Their pamper, and little scolding behaviour makes me in controlling my altering emotions. I tend to show the behaviour of insecure avoidance. Then they are likely to be around a parent who is usually sensitive in nature and is rejecting their needs, and accordingly, I sensed and witnessed the insecure avoidance.
References
Fearon, P. F., & Schuengel, C., (2021). What kinds of relationships count as attachment relationships?. Attachment: The Fundamental Questions. Guilford.
Guy-Evans, O., (2020). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. https://www. simplypsychology. org/Bronfenbrenner. html.
McLeod. S., (2018). Mery Ainsworth The Strange Situation | Attachment Styles. https://www.simplypsychology.org/mary-ainsworth.html
Pamela Li., (2022). Bowlby & Ainsworth Attachment Theory – How Does It Work. https://www.parentingforbrain.com/attachment-theory/
Perron, N. C., (2017). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. College student development: Applying Theory to Practice on the Diverse Campus, 197(23), 1-10.
Shaver, P. R., Hazan, C., & Bradshaw, D., (2021). The integration of three behavioral systems. Attachment Theory and Research: A Reader, 74.