...Ecosystems Theory Chris Smith Western Kentucky University SWRK 331 –610: Human Behavior in the Social Environment II Western Kentucky University – Owensboro March 19, 2013 Ecosystems Theory Defined The ecosystems theory as utilized in social work is an adaptation in and of itself. The ecosystems theory is a combination of ecology and general systems theory. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, ecology is “The science of the relationship between organisms and their environments [ (Bantam Dell, 2007, p. 272) ]. An ecological systems approach only tells us organisms will adapt to environmental changes and does not tell us specifically what steps the organism takes in order to adapt to change, this is where general systems theory, the second contributor to ecosystems theory, comes to play a part [ (Greif, 1986) ]. General systems theory shows how an organism’s interaction with another cannot only instigate change within itself but can also instigate change in others as well. According to Wakefield (1996), Systems are sets of interacting elements; systems can be open or closed to interaction with the outside world; systems are linked hierarchically; systems can possess states of homeostasis and equilibrium or can be in disequilibrium; systems are regulated through positive and negative feedback; and, again, causal influences are circular, in that changes in one system have consequences for other linked systems that, in turn, through feedback, have consequences...
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...Running head: ECOLOGICAL MODEL 1 Ecological Model Queena Brown Liberty University Online ECOLOGICAL MODEL 2 Ecological Model The ecological model was submitted as a concept in the 1970s and further adopted as theory 10-years later in the early 1980s. Such models were developed in an attempt to enhance the understanding of the complex interconnection between people and their surrounding environments. Significantly, the theory was advanced by the World War I, after which researchers realized that the surveys conducted by psychologists seemed narrow in scope. The ecological model was brought about to fill the gap that existed between the behavioral theories. Indeed, they covered small settings based on the fact that anthropological theories were mainly used for analysis in broad contexts. The contribution of ecological models in personal development is profound despite being criticized. Specifically, Bronfenbrenner Ecological model is widely employed in the development of human beings in a bid to achieve a ‘risk tree’ concept that strengthens the ecological model. In the biological sense, human beings are considered as animals, just like any other living creature. Growth and development of humans come forth based on the interconnected and embedded ecological systems surrounding them. These two vital processes are governed by the various factors found the ecological model in which...
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...the factors that possibly will place children at risk of harm (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2013). To understand the environment risk, CPS work with the Ecological theory. Ecological theory conceptualizes human behavior and social functioning within an ecological framework. Individual, family and environmental aspects work together with each other to influence...
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...Unit Title | Social Work Futures in a Global Contexts | Unit Number | U22080-12YR | Unit Coordinator | Chris Penney and Annabel Tremlett | Description of work | Formative assignment | Word Count | 550 | Student Number (s) | 488901, 486768 | Date Submitted | 9th November | An Innovative Approach to Social Work Introduction The ‘ecological systems theory’ has been adapted to Children Services in New South Wales, Australia, as an approach to understanding the child in their context , which could be used to define a person’s behaviour in later life. This theory looks at how the child’s environment has an effect on their growth and development, providing a basis for how professionals can intervene in early years to support the child and family (Garbarino 1990, NICHD, 2000) (“Practice Grounded in Theory”, 2008). The model contrasts internal, individual or biological factors with external, social, environmental and relational factors (Wong and Cumming, 2008), implementing a holistic approach to the intervention. It combines the individual, the family and the community in underpinning issues that have contributed to the child’s development. For example, examining the child’s social factors could involve liaising with the school, the home, and other agencies, gaining an understanding of the whole situation. History of the ecological system This approach was evolved by Urie Bronfenbrenner in 1979 which looks at the different systems which could influence...
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...I use the ecological systems theory when evaluating the interconnectedness of individuals, families, institutions, and societies. Individuals exist within an environment comprised of five layers, including the microsystem, ecosystem, microsystem, and the chronosystem. When examining a social problem, such as domestic violence, applying the ecological systems theory can enhance your understanding of the systemic interactions of the levels and the individual’s relationship to their environment. If a married woman is a victim of domestic violence, you could examine the interaction between the woman and her environment. The interactions between the levels can have a positive and negative impact on the person. For instance, the woman may be...
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...5 QUIZ 2 CHAPTER 5 TO 8 CRJ 105 WK 5 Quiz 2 Chapter 5-8 1. "Theory" is best described as: a. Fact b. Providing justifications for criminal behavior c. Useful for making sense of otherwise isolated, seemingly random facts d. Useful in locating the one key that will explain all criminological behavior 2. The view that criminal behavior is ultimately driven by supernatural forces is known as: a. Classicalism b. Demonology c. Marxism d. Victimology 3. "Women accused of witchcraft were tied up and thrown in the water. If they survived, they were innocent." This type of practice is known as: a. Capital punishment b. Neoclassicalism c. Torture d. Trial by ordeal 4. The earliest theories of crime causation were: a. Demonological b. Ecological c. Economic d. Classical 5. Beccaria's work can be summarized as arguing that: a. Crime is the result of forces outside of an individual's control. b. Capitalism is at the root of most crimes. c. The punishment should fit the crime. d. Crime rates are related to geography. 6. Jeremy Bentham advocated for "the greatest happiness shared by the greatest number." The term that refers to this approach is: a. Demonism b. Ecological determinism c. Marxism d. Utilitarianism 7. Which of the following theoretical perspectives is based on the premise that human behavior is primarily hedonistic in nature? a. Classicalism/Neoclassicalism b. Demonism c. Ecological determinism d. Marxism 8. Which of the following would an adherent...
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...A Discussion of the Theories of Bronfenbrenner and Vygotsky Connie Hassan 2015 Abstract Child development is defined as a normal progression by which children change as they grow older by acquiring and refining knowledge, adjusting behaviours and mastering new skills. As children grow there are both quantitative and qualitative differences between them. Quantitative differences emerge in that children acquire more knowledge and grow physically larger and stronger. Qualitative differences in the way children think, behave, and perceive the world differently as they mature. Many theories of child development have emerged as researchers continue to try to support, contradict or integrate differing points of view. Theories of child development have reflected the thinking of the times in which they arose. Some more recently developed theoretical perspectives focus on children’s internal processes and others on external influences related to development. This essay will discuss two different theoretical approaches - sociocultural theory, which stresses that social interaction is fundamental in the role of physical, cognitive and social development, and ecological systems theory, which integrates a holistic approach to encompassing the key individual and environmental influences on child development. The focus of the discussion is a comparative analysis of a theory from each of these approaches. A Discussion of the Theories of Bronfenbrenner and Vygotsky According to Berk...
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...YOU AND YOUR ENVIRONMENT Otherwise known as the Human Ecology Theory, the Ecological Systems theory states that human development is influenced by the different types of environmental systems. Formulated by famous psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner, this theory helps us understand why we may behave differently when we compare our behavior in the presence of our family and our behavior when we are in school or at work. the Five Environmental Systems The ecological systems theory holds that we encounter different environments throughout our lifespan that may influence our behavior in varying degrees. These systems include the micro system, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macro system, and the chronosystem. 1. THE MICRO SYSTEM The micro system's setting is the direct environment we have in our lives. Your family, friends, classmates, teachers, neighbors and other people who have a direct contact with you are included in your micro system. The micro system is the setting in which we have direct social interactions with these social agents. The theory states that we are not mere recipients of the experiences we have when socializing with these people in the micro system environment, but we are contributing to the construction of such environment. 2. THE MESOSYSTEM The mesosytem involves the relationships between the microsystems in one's life. This means that your family experience may be related to your school experience. For example, if a child is neglected by his parents...
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...Your text uses Bronfenbrenner's ecological model to explain how children's development is affected by different groups within their world. Using this theory, we can understand how children are socialized both intentionally and unintentionally. You must understand how this theory applies to your own upbringing as well as a young child's upbringing in order to truly comprehend the concept. After reading the text and the "Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory" article, use your understanding of this theory to respond to the questions below. Using Bronbenbrenner's ecological model, respond to the following questions: a. How did the microsystem that you grew up in differ from your parents’ or grandparents’ microsystems? Do you think this is a detrimental or an affirmative change to society as a whole? b. How do you think technology, specifically social media, influences a child's mesosystems? Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system contains four parts beginning with microsystem. The article states, “The microsystem- this is the layer closest to the child and contains the structures with which the child has direct contact. The microsystem encompasses the relationships and interactions a child has with her immediate surrounds (Berk, 2000).” My microsystem was very different from my parents. My father’s father passed away when he was seven years old. He grew up with a single mother who had to work full time and was not able to spend a lot of time at home with him...
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...Report 1 The social reproduction theory focuses on the schools effort to reproduce the existing social and economic inequalities. In regards to that it also “focuses on the state or society and its need for certain kinds of labor in a capitalist economy.” (Evans, pg. 138) This theory fails to address how they sort the students to the classes they belong in and how social inequality receives contribution from the school. Along with that, it doesn’t acknowledge human action and agency and ignores teaching, learning, curriculum enactment and student teacher interaction.” (Evans, pg. 173) I personally don’t like the fact how some children in the 9X group are academically able to do the same work as 9A children but aren’t put in there. They’re also not fought hard enough for but there are some teachers that did take that factor into consideration to try and help them. Many of the students that are in the 9X category are from not getting a high score on the CXC examination. Many of them also come from low socioeconomic families, to where the assumption is drawn that, tat is how the child may become. Teachers who taught 9X students put blame on the social status of living. Stated here, “They attributed the disruptiveness and restlessness of students mainly to their social background and to the communities in which they lived and secondarily to factors within the school, factors over which they as teachers exercised some control. Cultural Reproduction Theory addresses many...
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...Considering the Present Tony Camp PSY 202 Professor Henry 7/29/2014 In this paper I will discuss how becoming a father and how being the first in my family to attend college had a profound influence on my life. I will asses the influence of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory of each experience. According to (Mossler, 2013) “Urie Bronfenbrenner proposed a theory of ecological systems, which focused on broad, interconnected influences on human development.” (Section 2.6 “Urie Bronfenbrenner and Ecological System Theory,” para. 1). I will also examine how I learned from each of my experiences that are apparent in whom I am today and how these experiences apply to my online learning. There was a time when my wife and I thought we were incapable of having our own children together. Her doctor told her that she would never have children due to a procedure that was done during her early teen years on her cervix. This discouraging news made it seem impossible for us to have own our children. Despite the news, we never stopped trying. One day we finally got our blessing and it was confirmed that my wife was pregnant. I remember feeling like I had just hit the lotto when I got the news. The excitement only grew once the months rolled on. It was an incredible feeling when I got the chance to hear the heart beat for the first time and to find out that we were having a boy during a 3D ultrasound. I was ecstatic about becoming a father. I always wanted my own family and I...
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...myself in many distressed situations because of family dynamics and because of all that I am the woman I am today. Psychological resilience on the individual level relates to an individual’s tendency to cope with stress and adversity. Resilience is most commonly understood as a process, and not a trait of an individual. Most research now shows that resilience is the result of individuals being able to interact with their environments and the processes that either promote well-being or protect them against the overwhelming influences or risk factors (Zautra, Hall and Murray, 2010). Individual coping strategies are impacted, both positively and negatively, by any number of cumulative factors such as families, schools, communities, and social policies. These factors when taken into consideration make resilience more or less likely to occur. This article expands on the fundamental concepts of strengthening family resilience by Froma Walsh...
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...procedures such as laboratory experiments. This is to allow researchers to control very precisely the conditions and establish empirical evidence, thus making behaviourism a very scientific approach to psychology. This is a strength to behaviourism, as experiments are measurable and can be replicated, producing reliable and consistent results. However a limitation of this aspect of behaviourism is that the methods and settings used in behaviourist research such as laboratory experiments can create an artificial environment, causing participants to behave differently, and consequently producing results that may not be generalizable to real life. In other word laboratory experiments may lack ecological validity. Low ecological validity in behaviourist research can be demonstrated in the work of Watson and Rayner (1920s). They conducted an...
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...The New Ecological Anthropology Older ecologies have been remiss in the narrowness of their spatial and temporal horizons, their functionalist assumptions, and their apolitical character. Suspending functionalist assumptions and an emphasis upon (homeo)stasis, "the new ecological anthropology" is located at the intersection of global, national, regional, and local systems, studying the outcome of the interaction of multiple levels and multiple factors. It blends theoretical and empirical research with applied, policy-directed, and critical work in what Rappaport called an "engaged" anthropology; and it is otherwise attuned to the political aspects and implications of ecological processes. Carefully laying out a critique of previous ecologies by way of announcing newer approaches, the article insists on the need to recognize the importance of culture mediations in ecological processes rather than treating culture as epiphenomenal and as a mere adaptive tool. It closes with a discussion of the methodologies appropriate to the new ecological anthropology. / "the new ecology, " political ecology, applied or engaged anthropology, linkages methodology] cological anthropology was named as such during the 1960s, but it has many ancestors, including Daryll Forde, Alfred Kroeber, and, especially, Julian Steward. Steward's cultural ecology influenced the ecological anthropology of Roy Rappaport and Andrew P. Vayda, but the analytic unit shifted from "culture" to the ecological population...
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...HS 5003, Survey of Research in Human Development and Behavior Course Instructor: Gerald Thauberger, MS, DM 05/30/2009 Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory Aaron D. Stewart "Ecological systems theory is an approach to study of human development that consists of the 'scientific study of the progressive, mutual accommodation, throughout the life course, between an active, growing human being, and the changing properties of the immediate settings in which the developing person lives, as this process is affected by the relations between these settings, and by the larger contexts in which the settings are embedded'" (Bronfenbrenner, 1989, page or #). When reading and researching to gain deeper understanding and appreciation of personal development, it is clear that we, as humans, continually change and adapt to our environment. Bronfenbrenner's levels of development play an essential role in this process. The first stage in Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory is the Microsystem. The Microsystem is described as the intimate system (the one we interact most commonly with); this system consists of family, school, peers, neighborhoods, churches, and health services. The Microsystem is the layer closest to the child and contains the structures with which the child has direct contact. The Microsystem encompasses the relationships and interactions a child has with their immediate surroundings (Berk, 2000). At this level, relationships have impact in two directions...
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