Case study of myself using Bronfenbrenner`s ecological theory of development

U04a1 Project-Bronfenbrenner Analysis

Summary

Late in my career , I decided to acquire Masters degree . This was a very crucial decision in my life . The decision that I took about acquiring a higher educational degree cannot be explained perhaps just by my wanting to do so . There must be deep-rooted reasons associated with my upbringing , family and home environment , the impact of my immediate friends , associates and peers . The reasons must equally be sought in the larger social values , the impact of mass media , the current emphasis of the present age among

others

These factors account for the four sub-systems in Bronfenbrenner 's Model of development . The model succinctly explains the development process in an individual . Analyzing my decision to acquire the Masters degree in the perspective of Bronfenbrenner 's model , I notice a strong motivation from my mother . She was herself not highly educated but she valued higher education . Moreover , my family environment during my childhood days was rooted in the value-system that upheld success and achievement , in which education had to play a key-role

During my growing up days , women were encouraged to be independent Women were well on their way to acquire the status of equality with men This required them to be educated on equal terms with men . Since I saw my mother as my role model , I too grew up to be an entrepreneur like her

However , despite my best education , I felt I needed a still higher education . This was the need of the current age . And I am pursuing my decision . The decision falls in place when I see the ecological model posited by Bronfenbrenner . The model examines family , neighborhood , peer group , school , church , mass-media , government , prevalent ideologies etc as the micro , meso , exo and macro-systems , as layers of influences since childhood to present that shape an individual (References to be found on page-8

Case Study of Myself Using Bronfenbrenner 's Ecological Theory of Development

The theory of social ecology (Bronfenbrenner , 1979 cited in Randall and Cunningham ) presumes that youth are embedded in multiple systems which act upon and interact with the behavior of youth . It is a two-way process in which the systems influence a youth 's behavior even as a youth influences the systems through his behavior

The theory of social ecology may be found quite similar in approach to the Cognitive theory , which has been extensively used in the social work practices over the last 30 years

Cognitive theory is based on the idea that a person 's thinking is the primary determinant of emotions and behavior . Therefore , the focus in this approach is to change the thinking pattern that result in dysfunctional forms of emotion and behavior (Lantz , J .1978 , Werner , H 1965 , 1982 , 1986 . Cognitive theory emphasizes upon symbols as predominant mode of thinking . It does away with the notion that a child 's mind is a blank slate on which anything can be written

Without going into the further details of these theories , I will make an attempt...