Ecological Perspective of Developmental Psychology

Introduction of Ecological Perspective

Ecological Perspective  or The contextual perspective considers the relationship between individuals and their physical, cognitive, personality, and social worlds.

For example-  In ecological perspective, being overweight is caused by various interrelated factors like person’s physical, personality, emotions, cognitive, and social worlds

It is also known as The Contextual Perspective- two important developmentalist 

1. Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
2. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological systems theory

1. Lev Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, focuses on how culture —the values, beliefs, customs, and skills of a social group—is transmitted to the next generation. According to Vygotsky, social interaction —in particular, cooperative dialogues between children and more knowledgeable members of society—is necessary for children to acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community’s culture.

Vygotsky focused on Child’s Cognitive Development and agreed Jean Piaget’s stand on children are active, constructive beings. But he viewed cognitive development as a socially mediated process, where children depend on assistance from adults and more expert peers as they tackle new challenges.

Zone of proximal development-   the difference between a child’s actual level of ability and the level of ability that he or she can achieve when assisted by, or working in cooperation with, older or more experienced partners (e.g., adults or more knowledgeable peers). It refers to a range of tasks that the child cannot yet handle alone but can do with the help of more skilled partners.

Scaffolding—the form of teaching which promotes learning at all age. For example- The adult picks a task that the child can master but that is challenging enough that the child cannot do it by herself. As the adult guides and supports, the child joins in the interaction and picks up mental strategies. As her competence increases, the adult steps back, permitting the child to take more responsibility for the task. Read more

2. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory

Developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner in 1979, this theory posits that a person’s development is influenced by a series of complex, interconnected systems that range from immediate relationships to broad societal influences. The theory is now known as the bioecological model.

According to Ecological systems theory, a child develop within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment. Because the child’s biologically influenced dispositions join with environmental forces to mold development, It also known as a bioecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 2005; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006).

Bronfenbrenner said that the environment is a series of nested structures that form a complex functioning whole, or system. These include but also extend beyond the home, school, and neighborhood settings in which children spend their everyday lives  Each layer of the environment joins with the others to powerfully affect development. There are five levels. These 5 systems are the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.

Ecological Perspective – Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological systems theory

1. The Microsystem– It is the innermost layer of Bronfenbrenner’s model and includes the immediate environments and direct relationships that an individual experiences. This system is composed direct contact with child like parents, siblings, teachers, school peers & other immediate settings such as school, work, and neighborhoods. For examples- A child’s relationship with their parents, classroom environment, peer friendships, and involvement in extracurricular activities are examples of influences within the microsystem.
2. The Mesosystem– This second layer of Bronfenbrenner’s model refers to the interactions between different microsystems. It captures the connections and relationships between these systems and how they influence each other. For examples- A parent-teacher conference where a child’s home and school environments are aligned, or how tensions between parents might affect a child’s performance in school.
3. The Exosystem-  It refers to the larger social systems that the individual does not directly interact with but that still have an indirect impact on their development.  These are formal & informal social structures, which do not themselves contain the child, but indirectly influence microsystem. For example,  Media, religious institutions, neighborhood, parent’s workplaces, parent’s friends and the mass/ social media, government policies affecting schooling, local media coverage, or access to community resources.
4. The Macrosystem- It is the outermost layer and consists of the broader societal norms  and cultural values, customs, and laws that shape the environment in which an individual lives. It includes overarching ideologies, belief systems, and cultural norms that impact development on a larger scale. For examples- Cultural expectations around education, gender roles, societal views on mental health, and the impact of a country’s political climate on individual opportunities,  poverty, values, laws, customs, and resources, socioeconomic status, wealth,  and ethnicity.
5. The Chronosystem– It was added to Bronfenbrenner’s theory later and incorporates the dimension of time. This system focuses on the influence of both short-term and long-term life transitions and events that an individual experiences over a lifetime including major life transitions, and historical events. It includes personal changes (like aging or family dynamics), as well as societal changes (like technological advancements or shifts in cultural norms). For examples- The timing of significant life events such as entering school, graduating, or losing a loved one, as well as historical events like wars, economic crises, or cultural shifts like the advent of the internet, starting school, moving to new house, etc.