The New Year brings in new resolutions and commitments to carry life further with new found zeal and enthusiasm. The social commitments in the past few weeks have kept us all busy. Indeed the human being is a social Animal as we cannot exist in isolation. There is a certain ecology in which we as human beings survive and it is really important to understand how this ecology governs our life.

With trust and attachment being the foundation stones of social emotional development, an understanding of the ecology in which a child thrives is equally important. Developmental Psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner(1979) formulated the Ecological Systems Theory to explain how the inherent qualities of a child and his environment interact to influence its growth and development. He stressed the importance of studying a child in the context of multiple environments. The theory is one of my personal favourites as I compare it with the solar system of the universe that explains the functioning of the universe,similarly this explains the universe of the child.

A child typically finds himself simultaneously enmeshed in different ecosystems, from the most intimate home ecological system moving outward to the larger school  and finally to the most expansive which is society and culture. Each of these systems inevitably interact with and influence each other in every aspect of the child’s life. Any ripples caused in any one of the systems causes disturbances in others too.

Let us explore the various systems talked about in the theory:-

1. Microsystem: It encompasses the relationships and interactions a child has with her immediate surroundings (Berk, 2000). Structures in the microsystem include family, school, neighborhood, or childcare environments like the day-care, preschool .It has the maximum proximity and effect on the child. Family ties, visits to grandparents home if in a nuclear setting, playdates, spending time with cousins, going for outdoor play all are eclectic ways to a secure the first layer of interaction with the outer world.
2. Mesosystem: this layer provides the connection between the structures of the child’s microsystem (Berk, 2000). For Example: the connection between the child’s teacher and his parents, relationship and the interactions between the parents.It is very critical that the child is a viewer to healthy understanding and respect between relationships. Difference of opinion between family members should be sorted out amicably, or behind closed doors.The child should be able to see respect for women equally and an egalitarian relationship in the family are some relevant stances in the microsystem out of many.
3. Exosystem : this layer defines the larger social system in which the child does not function directly. The structures in this layer impact the child’s development by interacting with some structure in the microsystem (Berk, 2000). Parent workplace schedules are examples of the same. It is very human that at times workplace stresses affect an individual and this indirectly the child. As a Child Developmentalist, I strongly feel that on those harrowing days at your workplace, before heading home, Parents should leave their stresses and frustrations behind, so that children are not at the receiving end of their displaced anger.
4. Macrosystem: this layer may be considered the outermost layer in the child’s environment. While not being a specific framework, this layer is comprised of cultural values, customs, and laws (Berk, 2000). The effects of larger principles defined by the macrosystem have a cascading influence throughout the interactions of all other layers. For example, belief system, values, folkways, mores that form elements of culture influences parents way of bringing up their children. Our culture governs our upbringing in a very big way, hence  the discretion to not being blindly misguided by superstitions and myths is what is important. It becomes highly crucial that some myths about parenting, which are either passed on by the previous generations or are spread by heterogeneous practices of parenting are busted. Healthy childrearing is most often than not a matter of one’s guts into what goes into the process of molding them into healthy adults.For example, a common point of debate is regarding the breastfeeding durations of children. There are many factors – practical, physical, emotional – involved in your decision to carry on, wind down, or to stop breastfeeding. Talking it through with a breastfeeding counsellor can help you decide about stopping breastfeeding. Advice from family and friends may be well-meaning but inaccurate or biased, so if you need impartial support regarding when and how you can stop breastfeeding, there are many excellent resources,support groups on the internet and in your community to fall back on.

Therefore, it is the interaction between these subsystems that impacts the development of the child in all the domains. It is of utmost importance to maintain the synchronicity between each system to let the child flourish in its ecosystem comprising of parents, siblings, teachers, schools, peers, social institutions, culture. Neither of the elements can be isolated and it is the interdependence that is crucial for effective functioning of the child’s ecology at large.

The social emotional climate of a child is invariably affected by these levels, though it is not the only way of looking at the child. However, my role as an expert is to make parents understand that there are varied ways to look at the development of their child. The ecological systems theory is a beautiful illustration of how complex concepts like culture, society and simple terms like family, school, peers can simultaneously have an affect on the overall development of the child.

My next blog shall focus on the social emotional milestones of the child, till then keep smiling and be stress-free, after all you form an important part of the ecology in which the child thrives!

— Dr. Pooja Srivastava Dewan —

EECE Expert, ProEves, Dr.(Prof.) Pooja Srivastava Dewan has a background in child psychology and that makes her a fiercely active voice of children. Having done masters and doctoral research in child psychology , the one thing she seems to really learn is children are individuals in their own respects and we as adults need to respect this.