The Impact Of Environmental Influences On Child Development In Aotearoa New Zealand
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory and its five systems
Child development is the period of physical, cognitive and social growth that start on birth and progresses through early adulthood. Development of a child starts upon birth, crawling, walking and learning to talk among other aspects. There are different theorists who have developed theories on how we develop through childhood. Some common theories are those developed by Vygotsky, Erikson, Freud and Bronfenbrenner among others.
Urie Bronfenbrenner introduced an ecological approach of development which describes the phases in which a child grow through until they are adults. According to Garbarino (2017), he introduced five systems of development in which every individual experience in their life. He also went ahead to mention that the environment in which a child is brought in contributes highly to shaping them. The five systems which Bronfenbrenner developed are microsystems, mesosystem, exo-system, macro-system, and chronosystem. People can understand why other individuals have grown up the way they are and their future through the use of ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 2018). Environment and ecology in which are a person are brought up in plays a very significant role in their lives as compared to other biological influences.
- Microsystem
The first system developed by Bronfenbrenner is called the micro-system which is the closest layer in a child’s life. Children’s micro-systems are very small, and they include the immediate relationship which is given by parents or guardians, teachers, and other peers. Relationships at this stage affect a child living in two directions which are away from a child and towards a child’s life. A parent can influence the behavior and beliefs of a child meaning they contribute towards a child life and a child can also change the behavior and expectations of a child meaning children are contributing away to other individuals in the society. Bronfenbrenner describes this influences as bi-directional and that they can occur at all levels of an environment (Gerritsen, Anderson, Morton & Wall, 2018). Bi-directional influences are believed to be most active in the inner system, but they can also influence external systems. Apart from parental control in a child’s life other organization and individuals who interact with kids at the micro-system level such as professional caregivers and social workers are believed to effects a child’s behavior as well. These group and organization play an essential role in how a child grows both mentally and physically. This theory has an influence on child’s development in that, the way kids are treated determine how they treat other people in the society.
- Mesosystem
Environmental Factors Affecting Child Development
The second Bronfenbrenner ecological system is called the mesosystem, and it refers to the way in which the complex structures within the micro-system interact with each other. It is the second level hierarchy of Bronfenbrenner system in which a growing person is involved in more than two sets of their development lifecycle and they actively participate in them (Bronfenbrenner, 2018). An example is a growing child who has to interact with his/her parents at home, and they also have to interact with their teacher and peer in school. Multiple setting environments in which they have to grow in shape them on how to respect and communicate with each other. Mesosytem influence children at young stages by interacting with multiple individuals in a different setting developing their capability to differentiating between what is right and wrong.
- Exo-system
Exo-system is the third level of Bronfenbrenner system and it all about the relations and processes taking place in more than one setting and it does not necessarily have to involve a growing child (Tudge, Mokrova, Hatfield & Karnik, 2009). It states that a developing child can be affected by the immediate relationship with his/her parents and home and also the parent’s employment. This is because some parents may pay a lot of attention to their work neglecting their kids. These kids grow up lonely, and they less participate in the community activities. Bronfenbrenner came up with three systems which can significantly influence a family. They include the parents’ workplace, parents’ social networks, and the community influences. It indirectly influences a children’s development through the activities taking place around them.
- Macro system
The fourth system is macro-system which is a combination pattern of microsystem, mesosystem and exo-system characteristic which are practiced within a specific environment by a certain community (Hertler, Figueredo, Peñaherrera-Aguirre & Fernandes, 2018). The theory influences child’s manner of association with others in the society as well as adapting to new environments.
- Chronosystem
The last system is the chronosystem which refer to the dimensions in time which are related to the child’s development. It includes the psychological and biological changes that a child experiences at different stages of their life causing a mixed reaction in their environment. It influences a children by making them experience transitions in different environments.
There are various environmental factors which influence the development and learning of children in New Zealand. A nuclear family is termed as the best setup where kids are brought up by their parents, and they receive care, protection, and love from both parents. Kids who are brought up by divorced parents do not experience this kind of protection as one parent is missing and they are not always be provided with a pleasant surrounding as they grow. In the case where the father was the breadwinner of the family and after the divorce he shifts from the family, the harsh financial consequences that the child experience affects their lives (Cross Jr, 2017). The child’s peers, school and the society at large also influence them. These peers groups have helped little children in New Zealand to gain independence, and they can discover their sense of self. However, if these small kids end up in wrong peer groups where they are bullied the child’s self-esteem is affected negatively. These children also end up developing fear, and they are not able to interact and communicate effectively with other members of the society in the future (Vaipuna et al., 2018). Children learn a lot from observing the behaviors of their teachers, parents, and guardian so it is their responsibility to behave accordingly in front of them so that they can emulate them. Mass media is another environmental factor that affects the growth and development of children in New Zealand. They influence the behavior and altitude of small kids (Moore, 2017). For example, a kid who likes watching aggressive movies grows up with the same behavior.
Conclusion
Bronfenbrenner is correct in his research and the development of the various systems of child development. The systems help kids grow up responsibly, and they’re able to interact and communicate easily with other members of the society. Parents are urged to show concern and love to their kids despite their physical appearances as a kid who grows up without love and protection from their parents end up being irresponsible people in the future. Environmental factors like the school and the community should provide a conducive environment for the child’s growth and development. Parents should also sacrifice sometimes to spend with their kids despite the nature of their employment because kids who lack the company from their parents are always lonely and don’t know how to interact with other people.
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