Mr. Urie Bronfenbrenner

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory of Human Development

“Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory provides a useful framework for organizing the many dimensions of enculturation.”Bronfenbrenner’s theory consists of four different ecologies that vary in environments. Below is an image that further shows the information.

“Bronfenbrenner argues that it is only by examining the child in relation to his or her contexts, can we understand how a child develops. An important tenet of ecological systems theory is that children are not simply passive recipients of the enculturation and socialization process.” What he means by this is that children are learning and gathering their knowledge of culture from various places and areas in their life. Day to day activities and places where children spend time hold a huge influence in them learning the various cultures and their own development.

The theory is explained as such:

Microsystem: This is a child’s immediate surrounding, such as their family members, peer groups, school and social groups in which children hold direct interaction with.

            An example of this could be: A parent or a teacher

Mesosystem: This is the child’s links between the Microsystem.

            An example of this could be: How something occurring to a child’s teacher could affect the child. (The link between something like a teacher and family)

Exosystem: Is the context that indirectly affects children.

            An example of this could be: How media, neighbors, church influences and affects a child.

Macrosystem: This is the attitudes and ideologies of the culture.

            An example of this could be: Culture, religion and society and how they affect a child.

Chronosystem: This is the influence of time and history on the other systems.

            An example of this could be: An event in a child’s life that influences that said child. 


This theory can be still be used now to study child development especially when adopting children from different cultures and comparing to children in the culture in which they will be going into.