Introduction
The work of Uri Bronfenbrenner has been used by many in the field of early childhood and primary education over the years. Even now, researchers draw upon both his original and contemporary model of human development (e.g. Ballam, Perry & Garpeln, 2016; Hayes, O‘Toole & Halpenny, 2017). It is still an important part of the New Zealand Curriculum (Te Wha¯ riki), which explicitly mentions the bioecological model (Ministry of Education New Zealand, 2017). Consequently, it is important to examine what Bronfenbrenner's theory affords for the field, and how his model informs what we understand about young children's development. This chapter seeks to give a detailed account of his original ecological model (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) and to discuss and critique his latest work – a bioecological model (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006).
Through engaging with the content of this chapter, it is anticipated that you will:
• consider child development in relation to Bronfenbrenner's original and most recent theory
• think about the importance of conceptualising child development in relation to the future
• learn that theories determine what you see and how you act
• understand the importance of using theory to inform your analysis of children's development.
In this chapter you will also return to the Culturally Diverse Preschool and Resourceful Community case studies, where you will use Bronfenbrenner's original and most recent model of child development to understand the conditions that are created to support children's development. However, before you learn about Bronfenbrenner's theory of child development, it is important to meet the person behind the ideas.
Researchers say that before Bronfenbrenner, child psychologists studied the child, sociologists examined the family, anthropologists the society, economists the economic framework of the times and political scientists the structure. As the result of Bronfenbrenner's groundbreaking concept of the ecology of human development, these environments – from the family to economic and political structures – were viewed as part of the life course, embracing both childhood and adulthood (Lang, 2005).
Biography of Urie Bronfenbrenner
Urie Bronfenbrenner was born in 1917 and died in 2005. He was born in Russia and immigrated to the United States when he was 6 years old. When he was a young child, Bronfenbrenner's father frequently drew attention to the interdependence between the environment and living things. These early beginnings laid the foundations for a very different approach to the study of human development in psychology.
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