The Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory Essay

Bronfenbrenner’s theory is one of the most complex childhood development theories since they were first brought up. His theory is as follows: there are many layers to a child’s life from who they are individually to what time period they are grown up in. After the child information (including age, race, gender, etc.) comes the microsystem is the system in which the child comes in contact with parents, teachers and classmates. The following is the mesosystem which is the relationship between the child’s family and school. The larger influence in a child’s life is known as the exosystem. Cultural values and believes that 

impact a child’s life is the macrosystem. Conclusively, the historical context in which a child grows up is known as the chronosystem. According to the textbook, Bronfenbrenneher believes “What is being taught and how society interprets situations depends on who is involved in the life of a child and on when 

and where a child lives” (18 in Developmental Theorists). This is the basics of that theory. 

A child being raised in a fully Mexican household would differentiate between the American households. There are many customs the four year old child would have to learn. The child would have to learn both English and Spanish in order to communicate with our family members who only speak spanish. Even if a child knows a few words, it’s best he or she starts at a young age to further develop their language. Mexicans also show their love in many different ways such as not saying I love you but through actions from making food for their children to give to protecting them. Though this is the Mexican custom, I choose not to participate in this, because my child deserves to hear those words, especially at a young age to know that they are loved and are growing up in a safe household where they have a sense of belonging. The textbook said it the best when stating “Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model explains the direct and indirect influences on an individual’s development” (19 on Developmental Theorists). Although my parenting methods won’t be similar as the tradidinal upbringing of many Mexican-Americans, the child will have many grandparents and family members who will remind them of their culture. 

Being financially stable is one of the key elements of becoming a parent. The child will suffer less from anxiety due to seeing the anxiousness in their parents face when the rent is due, or wondering if they have enough to provide food for the table. When a parent is financially set, a child will have less to worry about when asking for a toy they might like or if they can afford pitching in for their school’s potluck. Children will also not have to worry about where they will attend school. If I were to be lower class, chances are my kids will attend a public school where there many more statistics for bullying, crime and overall not a good experience for a child to grow up. They also may not get the most help from their teachers depending on the school for preschool or T-K. The child will most likely thrive in an environment where they can get more help such as a private or charter school, which is where I would prefer them to be in. In the textbook, it explains “Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model challenges us to go beyond the individual  if we want to understand human development and promote improvements” (20 on Developmental Theorists). Having a child be in a middle or upperclass household will not suffer from anxiety, worrying about their parents being able to afford daily needs or where they will end up in the future. 

Within today’s politics, xenophobia, racism and sexism are still prevelent in today’s world. I would teach my children that everyone is equal and unique in their own way, despite of what color of their skin is, what gender they are or how they present themselves in the world. I would correct even if they say anything remotely incorrect that could be harmful to another person or child. Even today there are children that comment on someone’s appearance in which a person can’t change. Since I am a fully hispanic woman, it can be very difficult to live in America, especially when Trump was president because of the xenophobia he would spread and even today, there are things like that in which effect how hispanic people are perceived. I would teach my four year child that they are accepted wherever 

they go and shouldn’t try to change who they are. Therefore, they can grow up believing that they are unique and should be proud of their ethnicity. 

Generation Alpha is the second generation to be exposed to technology, the internet and social media. Many children at a very young age are already exposed to Youtube, Netflix, and lots of other streaming services in which they can be entertained. Therefore, this causes less and less children to do child activities such as color, spend time playing outside, or using their overall imagination. I would like my children to not use any devices from laptops or the nintendo switch to my personal phone when their brains are still developing. I would like for them to indulge in other activities such as building blocks, filling in coloring books, or spending time with me and my future partner. I would like for my child to have a childhood before getting hooked on any type of technology. This would cause my child to 

build his or her motor skills and experience the world for all it has to offer. 

In short, the way a child grows up has many factors to how they will turn out from their familie’s socioeconomic status to politics to their culture and above all, the timeperiod and generation they exist in.  According to Different uses of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory in public mental health reseach, it states “Consequently, studies using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system concepts by clearly considering interactions… guiding public mental health policy and practice” (14). How a child interests with the world 

around it affects their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual development. With using the gentle parenting approach, providing them with a sense of belonging, becoming financially stable and limiting my child’s technology usage I will hope for the best in how my child turns out in the future while i am using these methods he or she is four years old.