Mesosystems (the second system) include the links between the microsystems (Sigelman, 1979). For me, the communication between my keyboard and piano teachers and my parents were a large part of my mesosystem. Also the verbal and written communication between my family and my preschool and school played a large part. Going to a Mosgiel school was a big connection to my father’s family as they had been bought up in Mosgiel as children. Knowing this made me happy and proud to go to my school. My church also created another mesosystem as there was communication between leaders for such things as Sunday school and Girls Rally.
“The exosystem refers to larger social systems, such as public media, communities and neighbourhoods. The messages about cooperation on television and in children’s books provide context for the child’s understanding, as do community projects such as school and neighbourhood fundraising events” (Bird & Drewery, 2004, pg24). Places that are in the exosystem in a child’s life can include parent’s workplaces and school boards. These places influence the child but do not directly affect the child.
My father moving from Mosgiel to Timaru for work just last year is an example from the exosystem. Because he relocated it meant that my Mum and I moved to Timaru with him. This also meant that I had to begin a new school in my final year of high school. Beginning at a new school challenged me to use the social development that I had learnt in my microsystem to talk with people and make new friends.
The macrosystem includes social class and the political system of the country (Bird & Drewery, 2004, pg24). This is also the beliefs and strong culture undercurrents that the child lives within (Smith, 1998). Being able to vote, now that I am 18, is part of my macrosystem. Even though I am not totally aware about the parties, politicians and our government system, I will develop the awareness of party policies and the politicians to make informed decisions about the votes I make.
The final system in Bronfenbrenner’s theory is the chronosystem. This system refers to the time taken for all the systems to emerge over time. This includes each individual’s progress to adulthood as well as social changes in a country’s history (Bird & Drewery, 2004, pg 24).
The effect of the chronosystem on my own life was being brought up when technology was at a high. With the computer age being a large factor in my development, there have been vast improvements to the state of my written work. Also they have become a piece of technology that I use mainly everyday. I have been able to keep copies of my documents handy, either on the hard drive, floppy disk or CD, and playing games or listening to music for relaxation.
The five systems, that have been described, form Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of Human Development. As a teacher in a New Zealand classroom, I need to be aware of the areas in which I effect the child’s development in both positive and negative ways. The greatest involvement that I would have as a teacher would be within the microsystem of the child as this would be the setting of the classroom. Within this system I would be interacting, with the children, within the classroom, enhancing the child’s awareness of the environment around them. Teachers are also able to encourage good manners within the class which the children will learn to use within other settings in their environments, such as at home. Also creating a system to aid new entrants into the school environment is important.
Because teachers play a large role in the child’s microsystem, opportunities to make the child aware of culture will help aid their development. These can be included into most lessons, including science and history.
The teacher also has a direct influence on the mesosystem of the child. Through this system there is communication between the school and parents and the school and church or any other part of the child’s microsystem. Communication between the school and the child’s immediate family provide the family with feedback on the child’s progress, what the child is learning and any planned school events. Homework is a way for the teacher to get the child’s parents involved with the school work that is being done in class. Also the teacher may invite the parents in to talk about the work of the child. These meetings with the parents can also help the teacher to understand more about the exosystem of a child and why the child may act a certain way.
In conclusion the five systems of Bronfenbrenner’s theory can be seen to have influenced my development and that my development did occur at the different levels. It can be seen that all the systems relate to one another and it is the way they relate that help children to develop into adults. Those who are in the microsystem, whether they are in the school, home or a social group, need to know the importance of their actions towards the development of the child and how much they can affect the child. On the grounds of being a teacher, interactions in the classroom are important in the education of the child.
After looking at other theories in class, I feel that Bronfenbrenner’s theory is the most appropriate one for the development of children today. This view also comes after putting my own life into the systems of this theory.
References
Bird, L. & Drewery, W. (2004). Human Development In Aotearoa: A Journey Through Life. (2nd Ed.). Auckland, New Zealand: McGraw-Hill.
Sigelman, C.K. (1999). Life-span human development. (3rd Ed.). Pacific Grove, California: Brookes/Cole Publishing Co.
Smith, A.B. (1998). Understanding Children’s Development. (4thed.). Wellington, New Zealand: Bridget Williams Books Ltd.
