Informal Learning Experience

Following this, family, which is the first unit where children have ongoing contact and the first context that shape a child’s pattern of socialization (Elkin & Handel, 1978). Children are similar to sponges as they absorb and model everything a parent does and contain what they observed into their own lives, thus a negative example can lead to a bad behavior. Matters that are solved

Bronfenbrenner U. (1977). Toward an Experimental Ecology of Human Development [Electronic version]. American Psychologist, 32, 513-531.

Family ecology theory looks at how families are influenced by, and subsequently influence their environment. In their text, The Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate Relationships in a Changing Society, Bryan Strong and Theodore Cohen (2014) list four levels to the environment to which individuals adapt: the microsystem, which contains the most immediate influences with which individuals have frequent contact, e.g. families, peers, schools, etc.; the mesosystem, which consists of the interconnections between microsystems, i.e. school, work, and home experiences; the

The relationships children develop with their family members

The underlying concepts in the article directly relate to family systems theory. Family systems theory states that all members of a family are reciprocal and impact on one another, all parts of the family change and the family works as a whole instead of a number of smaller sections (Missouri Department of Social Services, 2014). The concept of the interconnected nature of a family is highlighted in this article as it states that children will be impacted by the behaviour and experiences of the parents during early stages of

Development psychology has many ideas of how humans are influence during their development. The ones that this paper will be covering are the Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems, nature and nurture influences and cultural influences. I have also given my own personal influence to further demonstrate my understanding of each idea.

Public speaking is often described as the most common fear in the world. It is also something that many people are required to do. It may be to give a toast at a wedding, to present a seminar at work, to make an argument to a local council, to receive an award or to be interviewed by a board of directors for a job. Public speaking is something few people can avoid and yet it continues to be a major fear. To understand this fear and how it can be managed and prevented, the issue will now be looked at in more detail. This will begin with a definition of public speaking anxiety and a discussion of the

When I consider family systems, I am reminded of a metaphor I heard while in undergraduate school about a mobile. A mobile is used to soothe an infant, normally placed above a crib or basinet. Each of its parts are in balance, when working correctly, however if one section becomes off balance the objects become out of sync. This is true with families. If each member of the family unit is doing their part, there is complete balance or homeostasis (Henson). This balance is viewed as a healthy family system. However, if one part of the unit becomes off balance, it disrupts the whole unit causing an unhealthy response with possible long term consequences. As families grow, each member plays an equally important role in the family unit. Children learn quickly the importance of relationships and adapt quickly to their environment. No one can deny the family unit is the most complex system in existence.

Bronfenbrenner’s (1977, 1979, 1989, 1993, 1994) ecological theory suggested that child (human) development occurs for the child within the context of various environments. These environments, or systems, are influenced from within and between other environments. The individuals within each system influence each other through various transactions that occur between them.

The next level in the system is the mesosystem showing the impact of the interaction of the different structures in the microsystem in the development of the child (Belgrave & Allison 239). The essence of the mesosytem is providing a connection between the microsystem players such as the teacher and the parents, of the church and neighborhood, thus making the impact more profound. Oswalt gives an example of a parent or caregiver taking an active role in a child’s school interactions such as attending matches and parent-teacher conferences thus ensuring overall growth. An involved parent within this example is likely to have a positive impact, while disagreeing parents and caregivers may give conflicting lessons hindering holistic growth. The third stage of Bronfenbrenner model is the exosystem level, which encompasses other people and places that have an impact on the child’s growth despite the child not having a direct interaction with these people or places. The exosytem level contains the larger society such as parent workplaces, community-based resources, which may negatively or positively influence on the child although they do not have a direct interaction with the places. For example, the workplace affects the child’s growth by ensuring providence, meaning that if a parent is laid off the child

In many ways family systems theory can be seen as a broad field where there many different implications that make up the system, it is a system. A system is a set of objects that are bound together by a relationship, which are based around the attributes of the objects as drawn upon by (Janet.BB, 1982). Family systems theory addresses the many different ideals and values that make up a typical family, these include the roles each member of the family, the power relations either from the male of the family or both parents of the family, the boundaries that are set within the family to ensure that the structure of the family is secure, in both individualistic and collectivist families this can be seen (Fred Rothbaum, 2002).

Developmental psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner first introduced the Ecologicial Systems model in the 1970’s. Bronfenbrenner argued that to understand human development, the environment in which the person belongs must be understood (Bronfenbrenner, U.1979). The Ecological Systems model concentrically depicts how a person’s development is influenced by their wider environment. In the original model there were four ecological levels in the system, however in 1979 Bronfenbrenner added an additional fifth level (Bronfenbrenner, U. 1994). With the developing person in the centre, the five progressive levels of environment include the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, marcosystem and the chronosystem.

Children enter the world as part of preexisting systems. They enter parental systems and families that already have rules, roles and boundaries, and more are made as children grow and the family develops. These transitions can be confusing and challenging for all members involved leading to feelings of fear, anger and even helplessness. Members within the family

I chose Urie Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model of child development to reflect on my stages of development. In the microsystem of Bronfenbrenner’s model, my early childhood family structure included my uncle, his wife and their five children. I went to live with my uncle after my mother passed away. By middle childhood, my uncle and his wife migrated to the United Sates and I went to live with one of his daughters( Erica) and her two children. They became my construct of what a family represent. Although I was welcomed in Erica’s family, I felt as if I did not belong in their family. The only place I felt accepted was at school. The classroom represented a place where I expressed my feelings without being ignored or judged by my peers. Also, I had very observant and understanding teachers who had the best of my interest. I had one teacher , Mr. Francis, who believed that I was capable of improving academically. At the end of his class, he noted in my report card that I had potential to be academically competent, however, I needed to settle down and apply myself to learning. His comments motivated me to do my best throughout elementary school. During elementary school, I maintained healthy relationships with my peers. There were never any reports of misconduct of any misunderstanding amongst my peers. In fact, interactions with them thought me how to engage in fair play, wait my turn, build trust and explore my environment. In exploring my environment, I

Human development transpires through “processes of progressively more complex reciprocal interactions” (Brofenbrenner, 1995, p. 620). For these interactions to be entirely effective, they must occur regularly over a period of time (Eamon, 2001). It is also evident that one’s biological and environmental experiences can shape their way of developing in the long run. In order to understand human development, it is essential to analyze various aspects. Through reading this text, you will better understand how developmental psychologist, Bronfenbrenner, and German psychologist, Baltes both conceptualized their views on the various effects on human development.