BRONFENBRENNER'S LEVELS OF INFLUENCE

Bronfenbrenner's levels of influence

Bronfenbrenner's Levels Of Influence

Ecological theories of human development consider the complex interactions between humans and their changing social and physical environments. Understood from the vantage of Bronfenbrenner's iconological systems approach, initial transactions in a person's life are the result of direct interrelationships between the infant and members of the micro system (church, family, (Zanden 2007) peers, school, neighborhood, play area, and health services

Deep-rooted in the mentality of members of a system are beliefs about which members are suited to which roles. If a society assigns a value to the knowledge gained through a lifetime of experience, then people in late adulthood and beyond will perceive themselves as vital. (Santrock 2007) Alternatively, if a society chooses not to recognize that elders have an important contribution to make in society, then the elders of that society may internalize those beliefs and feel valueless.

Because of a heightened awareness of the positive effects of keeping a healthy diet and exercising regularly, in many cases, people can continue to function physically and mentally at high levels. An ecological theory of human development would recognize recent changes, such as increased longevity and improved functionality, as the catalyst for the development of new late adulthood roles and altered definitions of late adulthood. (Zanden 2007)

Cognitive development throughout the lifespan, or fluid intelligence, is valued above accumulated stores of intelligence, or crystallized intelligence, in some ecological systems. In a system that seeks ways of applying the wisdom of age, mentors and apprentices benefit from the transference of knowledge and perspective. In traditional Latin societies, it is believed that older members of society possess inner-strength and can pass that quality along to younger generations. Individuals in these societies depend on their elderly and base many of their personal, social, (Bronfenbrenner 1979) and job-related decisions on the utterances of elders in the community.

In technology-based societies, crystallized intelligence is undervalued because adaptation is seen as more important to the sustenance of economic development. Those who fall behind in terms of technological instrumentality and rapid response rate are perceived as slow instead of as thoughtful. Furthermore, the uniform sentence order and grammar of English restricts the range of expression available to many elderly people. In a macro system in which speed and the delivery are prized more than the content of the message, senior citizens and their contributions are marginalized. (Santrock 2007) The effect is ...