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Urie Bronfenbrenner

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(1917-2005)

Warm Up!

Early Life

• Born in Moscow, Russia in 1917
• Family moved to the U.S. when Bronfenbrenner was six years old to Pennsylvania and later settled in upstate New York
• Bronfenbrenner’s father worked as a physician for a “New York institution for the developmentally disabled” (Brendtro, 20606), where young Urie became interested in the frustrations his father faced working with healthy children sent to the institution.

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Career

• Studied at Cornell with a double major in psychology and music
• Received his master’s degree at Harvard
• Received his doctorate in developmental psychology from the University of Michigan
• Urie joined the U.S. Army and worked with Kurt Lewin as a psychologist evaluating candidates for secret duty (Brendtro).
• Urie became a professor at both Cornell and Michigan
• Bronfenbrenner finished his professional career as a professor at Cornell, which named their College of Home Ecomonics to College of Human Ecology in his honor

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Work

Bronfenbrenner is credited with

• Head Start Program

This program targets lower income children and provides them with resources for education before they begin school

• Bronfenbrenner developed the Ecological Systems Theory
• Bronfenbrenner was widely published, with over 300 articles and 14 books (Bendtro, 2006).

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Personal Life

• Married Liese Price Bronfenbrenner and lived in New York with his wife
• Urie and Liese Bronfenbrenner had six children together as well as many grand and great grand children
• Urie passed away in 2005 in Ithaca, New York

Ecological Systems Theory

Theory:

The physical and social contexts in which we develop are ecosystems because they are constantly interacting with and influencing each other

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Microsystem�The people or groups the individual has direct interaction with

This system is the immediate surrounding of the child, the individual

• Immediate family members (Mom, Dad, siblings)
• School (Nursery School, Daycare)

*Bronfenbrenner also believes that the child’s temperament relays how she will be treated by the factors in the microsystem

Mesosystem�Interactions between microsystems

This system shows how the variables within the microsystem influence one another.

• If a child’s caregivers (Mom, Dad) are active in the child’s school, the child has a positive effect on the child’s growth.
• If the child’s caregivers are not active or disagree (maybe the parents have separated and do not have the same philosophy on raising the child) this will have a negative effect on the child’s growth.

Exosystem�Events that are not affected by the individual

These are variables outside of the child’s control, yet they still yield a lot of influence on the child’s life.

• Parent’s work place- is the parent making money which can afford vacations and a new house or less money, which might mean the family has to move or and stop dining out?
• Child’s neighborhood (city, suburb, rural)- Is this a safe neighborhood where the child can walk to the playground? Or is the child restricted to his house? Does the child need to be driven to outings or can she have independence?
• Cultural expectations – go to school or work at a local factory?
• Economic and education system – Are there jobs? What are the schools like?

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Macrosystem�The culture in which the individual lives

This system covers the greater outside influences in a child’s life that directly effect the child but that the child cannot control.

• Music and Arts
• Heritage
• Government – what is controlled?

*The exosystem is reliant on the macro system.

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Chronosystem�Events that occur within the individual’s lifespan

This system includes all events that happen during the individual’s life that he cannot control but effects his life:

• World History like wars, famine, civil war
• Natural disaster like earthquakes, tsunamis, climate change
• Social movements like gay marriage

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Stop and Ponder

Video Explanation of Theory

Ecological Systems Theory Explained

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“In order to develop normally, a child requires activity with one or more adults who have an irrational emotional relationship with the child. Somebody’s got to be crazy about that kid. That’s number one. First, last and always.”

- Urie Bronfenbrenner

Let’s Check what you have learned!

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Take this short quiz!

Bronfenbrenner's Theory Quiz

References

Brendtro, L. (2006) The vision of Urie Bronfenbrenner: Adults who are crazy about kids PRO-ED Journals Vol. 15 Issue 3

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Danner, F. (2009) Bronfenbrenner, Urie 1917-2005 Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/bronfenbrenner-urie-1917-2005/

Oswalt, A. Child and adolescent developement Retrieved from http://www.gulfbend.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=7930&cn=28

Youtube (2014, September 28). retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moa-MY9EpZY

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Woolfolk, A. (2014) Educational psychology: active learning edition Upper Saddle River, NJ