Is Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of development relevant to childhood development?

As with any robust theoretical model, Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological model of development is parsimonious and applicable to areas outside of its original purpose. Interpreted alongside Bronfenbrenner’s model, the classical theories of childhood development attain greater explanatory power.

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What is Bronfenbrenner’s systems model?

Bronfenbrenner’s systems model can be graphically represented as a series of concentric rings surrounding the developing child.

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What is Bronfenbrenner’s concept of the environment?

Bronfenbrenner (1979) offers a conceptualisation of the child’s environment (ecology) as a multi-layered set of nested and interconnected environmental systems, all of whose “agents” influence the development of the child, but with varying degrees of directness.

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What can we learn from Bronfenbrenner’s work?

Bronfenbrenner’s ability to translate his theoretical musings into operational research models and effective social policies is evidenced in the Head Start programme he co-founded in 1965. Head Start is the longest running federal programme in the US designed to arrest the cycle of poverty.

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