The environment in which a child grows up or survives and surrounding forces such as class, culture, gender, or race shape them from within or in their social worlds. Additionally, different systems operate independently or interdependently in an individual’s life, impacting their wellness. Notably, Bronfenbrenner presents an ecological perspective that offers contexts and guidance on implementing interventions to address a myriad of complex social issues. Hence, the extensive analysis of real-life cases adopting the ecological perspective will facilitate a better understanding of social problems and factors that affect a child’s development and life.
Ecological Theory
Conceptualizing an individual’s problems in the context of the environment in which they occur and relationships offers a broader understanding of their current situation. The article “Invisible Child: Girl in the Shadows: Dasani’s Homeless Life” presents the life of an eleven-year-old intellectual girl whose development and behavior are attributed to different social forces in her immediate environment (Elliot, 2013). The author sheds light on the interconnected nature of environmental influences on a child’s development and well-being. In the ecological theory, Bronfenbrenner posits that child development results from an individual’s actions and interactions with the environment (Rogers, 2019). Additionally, within this theory, it is a fundamental principle that an individual’s perception of their circumstances and experiences impacts their well-being. For instance, in the case example, Dasani views homelessness and poverty as a crisis in which she has lost privacy, space, and dignity, hence spiraling into depression and hopelessness, which impact her mental well-being. Hence, in analyzing the article, considering different tenets and systems within the ecological theory will facilitate a deeper understanding of social problems impacting child development using the case example from the article.
Microsystem
The microsystem entails social interactions and immediate roles and relationships within an individual’s environment, including physical places such as home, school, neighborhood, or work. Thus, a child’s microsystem includes their mother, father, siblings, teachers, peers, and neighbors (Roger, 2019). Looking at Dasani’s microsystem, the state of their home, Auburn family residence, as a small, cramped up, and unsanitary room shared by the client, her parents, and siblings influences her development. Constant exposure to fights and gang violence as victims or witnesses has long-term consequences for the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of an individual (Suarez et al., 2024). Hence, Dasani’s immediate environment is unsafe and a hub for drug use, violence, and general chaos, as illustrated by the dispersed crack pipes and knife fights.
As depicted in the article, the environment at school, including interactions with peers, plays a significant role in child development, providing a sense of routine, nourishment, and guidance currently lacking in their home environment. The positive relationships and interactions with teachers at school, especially Principal Holmes and Miss Hester, motivate and support Dasani to change her behavior and work hard (Elliot, 2013). Positive relationships with parents and siblings may be an emotional support to an individual, even under challenging circumstances, as evidenced by Dasani’s interaction with her siblings as they constantly care for each other’s well-being. Furthermore, a client’s interaction and relationship with parents are significant to their behavior and personality. Case in point, the mother’s tendency to engage in verbal spats and get into fights while encouraging and permitting Dasani to do the same influences her behavior at school, causing a strain in relationships between other students and even teachers (Elliot, 2013). Personal characteristics, including personality, physical attributes, and mental capabilities, also impact a child’s development. In Dasani’s case, her agility, competence, strength, and resilience are essential tools that may help her cope with the difficult life situation and develop a sense of personal agency, positively impacting her well-being (Elliot, 2013). Therefore, these factors impact behavior and development in the individual’s microsystem environment.
Mesosystem
Factors in the child’s mesosystem include all the interactions and relationships between their microsystem, which directly impact the individual’s life and development. An interplay between an individual’s home and work or school influences development (Rogers, 2019). Dasani’s mesosystem encompasses an intersection between her home and school interactions, constituting a central part of their daily routine. As depicted in the article, school, and life are very similar for Dasani due to their close interdependence with her well-being (Elliot, 2013). As an illustration, Dasani’s lack of basic needs and the experiences or frustrations at home affect her school life in the sense that she resorts to violence and victimizes other students, partly due to her temperament.
Completing homework and studying at home is a challenge for Dasani and her siblings due to the lack of desks, chairs, or recreation rooms within the homeless shelter, which may negatively impact academic performance. The drop in school performance and heightened rate of erratic behavior by picking fights with peers signify the interplay between these two factors. As illustrated in the article, Dasani’s frustrations at home and hopelessness of the family’s situation simultaneously affect her performance at school, resulting in a drop in grades, heightened aggressive behavior, and even violence (Elliot, 2013). Hence, the interaction and interrelations between two microsystem components impact child development.
Exosystem
Another essential level of the ecological theory is the exosystem, which entails formal and informal social structures that affect an individual directly or indirectly. However, at this ecological level, the individual may not actively participate in those settings. This level comprises a larger social context, including government policies, mass media, and community resources, affecting a child’s microsystems (Roger, 2019). In Dasani’s case, the economic policies implemented by the Bloomberg administration in 2004 aimed at promoting self-reliance among homeless people by providing rent for a short term, exacerbated the homelessness rates and resulted in Dasani’s family relying on shelter systems (Elliot, 2013). School board decisions regarding programs may also impact the quality of education a child receives. Regrettably, the budget cuts at Dasani’s McKinney school resulted in fewer teachers, huge workloads, limited after-school resources, and a need for more counselors (Elliot, 2013). As a result, the budget cuts may affect Dasani’s access to quality education due to a lack of learning equipment and limited resources.
An exosystem also entails government bodies and community resources that shape a child’s microsystem. For instance, the Department of Homeless Services’ failure to address complaints from homeless shelter residents risks Dasani’s safety at home and well-being. Simultaneously, within the client’s ecosystem is the parent’s participation in a job placement program, of which failure to comply may warrant removal from the shelter system, which would affect Dasani (Elliot, 2013). A child’s exosystem also comprises a parent’s workplace or boss since job-related stresses and tensions may negatively impact their interaction with the child. Consequently, parent’s unemployment status, history of arrests, and constant battle with drug addiction impact the ability to provide basic needs, which hinders the capacity to have healthy food, healthcare, and a comfortable living environment. Additionally, the agreement to introduce extremely costly charter schools would negatively affect the client’s access to quality education and development (Elliot, 2013). Therefore, different factors at the exosystem level broadly impact child development.
Macrosystem
The macro system entails greater cultural forces that impact an individual’s well-being. Contrary to the exosystem, the macro level refers to the already established culture in which a child is developing and how it influences their development. At this ecological level, economic conditions, customs, cultural values, belief systems, social norms, religious structures, politics, laws, and policies impact human development (Rogers, 2019). Dasani’s neighborhood, Fort Greene, represents the looming struggle with inequality in New York City, exacerbated by gentrification that has polarized the city, resulting in projects to the North and fine residencies to the south. Accordingly, low socioeconomic status is a crucial aspect of an individual’s macro system, especially for those living below the poverty line, barely making ends meet. This economic pressure affects Dasani’s development, health, and well-being due to the inability to access quality education from a good school, better healthcare services, and live comfortably (Elliot, 2013). However, the constant anxiety, stress, and worry about the next worst occurrence, such as eviction and living in the streets, impact the social and emotional development of an individual. At Dasani’s macro system, addiction is the widely adopted societal practice of drinking alcohol or using crack, which heightened in the mid-80s and increasingly gained prevalence to this present. Social conditions in a larger context, such as a culture of violence, fights, shootings, and robbery, such as in Fort Greene, impact an individual’s psychological and physical development (Suarez et al., 2024). Systemic addiction and parental dysfunction are great contributors to rising homelessness and poverty within larger societies. Moreover, the gentrification of New York and division based on race and class facilitated the development of cultural perceptions that wealth belongs to White people, which is a harmful and limiting pattern of belief that may discourage growth. Therefore, considering factors in a child’s larger social environment enables a better understanding of problems.
Chronosystem
The fifth level of the ecological theory entails environmental events, shifts, and transitions over a child’s life course. These transitions may include a sibling’s birth, a family member’s death, relocating to a new area, or starting school. These transitions may impact a child’s well-being due to a family structure and dynamics shift. Dasani’s chronosystem entails personal experiences, including the birth of her sibling in 2007, which exposed the mother’s use of marijuana. This event impacted the client’s sense of safety due to the constant need to identify social workers and choose words carefully to avoid separation from the parents by the administration of child services (Elliot, 2013). The death of a family member and moving to a new place also have a significant impact on a child’s development. Elliot (2013) posited that the time spent under her grandmother’s care is a significant marker in Dasani’s life due to the space allowed to breathe, relax, and grow in a healthy environment. Her death in 2008 left Dasani distraught and afraid.
Similarly, the move to a new apartment, Dasani’s first natural home, allowed a safe place for positive nurturing, which is crucial for development. The transition to Auburn homeless shelter and separation from their mother for a certain period also had a lasting impact on Dasani’s development and the family since she took on the role of taking care of the younger siblings. The transition to a new school, McKinney, was pivotal for Dasani as it allowed a brief moment of freedom from the home circumstances. Hence, time also plays a significant role in a child’s development.
Conclusion
Different components of an individual’s social environment, including relationships and interactions at different systems, impact growth, behavior, and well-being. The article has facilitated a better understanding of several factors in an individual’s environment that influence their physical, psychological, and emotional well-being. Additionally, the article analysis revealed strengths and support elements in an individual’s system that may contribute to positive development. Therefore, conceptualizing a client’s problems necessitates an in-depth understanding of their surrounding environment and interrelated issues.
References
Elliott, A. (2013, December 09). Invisible child: Girl in the shadows: Dasani’s homeless life. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/projects/2013/invisible-child/index.html#/?chapt=1
Rogers, A. T. (2019). Human Behavior in the Social Environment: Perspectives on Development and theLife Course (5th Ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Suarez, G. L., Hyde, L. W., Burt, A., Klump, K. L., & Gard, A. M. (2024, February 22). Living in violent neighborhoods affects children’s brain development. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2024/02/violent-neighborhoods-brain-development
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