User:Nancydarling/Ecological systems theory

Lead
Ecological systems theory is a broad term used to capture the theoretical contributions of developmental psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenner developed the foundations of the theory throughout his career, published a major statement of the theory in American Psychologist, articulated it in a series of propositions and hypotheses in his most cited book, The Ecology of Human Development and further developing it in The Bioecological Model of Human Development and later writings. A primary contribution of ecological systems theory was to systemically examine contextual variability in development processes. As the theory evolved, it placed increasing emphasis on the role of the developing person as an active agent in development and on understanding developmental process rather than "social addresses" (e.g., gender, ethnicity) as explanatory mechanisms.

Historical Development
Ecological systems theory describes a scientific approach to studying lifespan development that emphasizes the interrelationship of difference developmental processes (e.g., cognitive, social, biological). It is characterized by its emphasis on naturalistic and quasi-experimental studies. Developmental processes are thought to be universal, however, developmental processes (a) differ in their likelihood of occurring and (b) occur in different constellations in different settings and (c) affect different people differently. Because of this variability, scientists working within this framework study individual and contextual variability to provide insight into these universal processes.

The foundations of ecological systems theory can be seen in Bronfennbrenner's work throughout his career. For example, in the 1950's his analysis of historical and social class variations in parenting practices, in the 1960's an analysis of gender differences focusing, and in the 1970's his comparison of childrearing in the US and USSR all show elements of the theory.

The formal development of ecological systems theory occurred in three major stages. A major statement of the theory was published in American Psychologist. Bronfenbrenner critiqued then current methods of studying children in laboratories as providing a limited window on development, calling it “the science of the strange behavior of children in strange situations with strange adults for the briefest possible periods of time” (p. 513) and calling for more “ecologically valid” studies of developing individuals in their natural environment. For example, he argued that laboratory studies of children provided insight into their behavior in an unfamiliar ("strange") setting that had limited generalizability to their behavior in more familiar environments, such as home or school. The Ecology of Human Development articulated a series of definitions, propositions and hypotheses that could be used to study human development. This work categorized developmental processes, beginning with genetic and personal characteristics, though proximal influences that the developing person interacted with directly (e.g., social relationships), to influences such as parents' work, government polic]ies or cultural value systems that affected them indirectly. As the theory evolved, it placed increasing emphasis on the role of the developing person as an active agent in development and on understanding developmental process rather than "social addresses" (e.g., gender, ethnicity) as explanatory mechanisms. The final form of the theory, developed in conjunction with Stephen Ceci, was called the Bioecological Model of Human Development and addresses critiques that previous statements of the theory under-emphasized individual difference and efficacy. Developmental processes were conceived of as co-occurring in niches that were lawfully defined and reinforcing. Because of this, Bronfenbrenner was a strong proponent of using social policy interventions as both a way of using science to improve child well-being and as an important scientific tool. Early examples of the application of ecological systems theory are evident in Head Start.

Impact
Article body