Shelby Sandstrom

First Semester Commentary Final

Introduction

The child I will be focusing on throughout this paper is the child I observed in my Child

Development Profile on March 15th, 2019. This child also happens to be my niece. She is a 14-

year-old female who is currently in the 8th grade. My previous observations took place in the

comfort of the child’s own home. More specifically at her kitchen table, and in her driveway as

well.

Part I: Mesosystem

Bronfenbrenner developed the bioecological theory of human development to explain

how the environment in which a child is placed in can have a direct effect on their growth and

development. There are four different environments Bronfenbrenner mentions, the first

environment is a microsystem. Microsystems include the child’s immediate environment in

which they interact with (Tudge, Mokrova, Hatfield, & Karnik, 2009). In reference back to my

previous observations, the child’s parents could be an example of a microsystem in her life. As a

child she interacts with them and relies on them daily. Although my observations did not take

place in the child’s school, we did discuss academics. Her school would be another microsystem

in her life. She attends 5 days a week, and it has a direct impact on her learning.

In the previous paragraph I mentioned the child’s school, as well as her parents. If these

two microsystems (or more) were linked, they would be considered a mesosystem. For

example, if the child’s parents were to communicate with her teachers that would create a link

between them (Walker, 2019, slide 8). The influence these social networks have can help a child

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develop positively. In schools, when discussing topics such as bullying and harassment, we try

to teach our students what to do in those situations and why it is not okay. This is an example in

developing their conceptions of moral behavior and ethical values (Kohlberg). If our social

systems are presenting positive behaviors, it has the potential to help shape and develop a

child’s positive behaviors.

As a child, when deciding between what is right, and what is wrong we often consider

what other people may think or what other people are doing especially in the Good Boy/Good

Girl stage (Kohlberg). The influences of our social networks and mainstream society can have a

direct effect on how we view ourselves (Diangelo, 2014, page 5). Potential deficits that may

arise in a child could be not feeling good enough compared to other students or needing to

become something they are not in order to be accepted by others (Erikson). In school, children

may also become too focused on what they are not good at rather than what they are good at

because of standards that were set in place. This may be hard for students to focus in classes

they struggle in because they are entering with the mindset of feeling like they need “fixing”.

In my opinion, I think the deficit model best describes a mesosystem. I think the link

between a child’s parents and the child’s school is a great example of how it describes a

mesosystem as a deficit model. For example, many parents probably do not communicate with

their child’s teachers very often especially as they get older. However, if a child is behind or

exhibiting negative behavior in the classroom a parent is more likely to hear from the teacher

rather than if their child was excelling. I think we would like to think our mesosystem is best

described as an assets model, but it may depend on which two microsystems are linked as well

as the child’s experience within their microsystems.

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Part 2: Ecosystem

After observing the child and knowing her personally, I was able to get a glimpse of what

this child’s week looked like. She was involved in Jazz Band, which met once a week before

school every Thursday. She also was involved in Knowledge Bowl, where they would practice

every Tuesday from 3-5 p.m. Knowledge bowl is defined as “a series of interdisciplinary

academic competitions,” and this student had several competitions throughout her school year

against other schools. She was not involved in any athletics because she said she is “not good at

them and does not have any interest in them.”

The child I observed had the means to be involved in extra-curricular activities if she

wanted too, but not all kids do. If a child was living at poverty levels, extra-curricular activities

would not be on the family’s radar because they would need to prioritize necessities. Since the

child would not be involved their social development could suffer because they are not

interacting with peers outside of school (Erikson). They miss out on potential opportunities to

further improve their leadership skills, as well as team building and communication skills.

Poverty in general affects more than just social development. It can also affect a child’s

development physically, cognitively, and emotionally. If a child is unable to receive a healthy

and balanced diet it may stunt a child’s growth physically. Their parents may be working

multiple jobs to put food on the table, so children may lack adult guidance that would impact

them cognitively (Vygotsky), as well as emotionally because they would not have the support

they need.

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References

Diangelo, R. J. (2014). Leaning in: A student's guide to engaging constructively with social justice

content.

Tudge, J. R., Mokrova, I., Hatfield, B. E., & Karnik, R. B. (2009). Uses and Misuses of

Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Theory of Human Development. Retrieved from

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1756-2589.2009.00026.x

Walker, R. (2019). Bioecological Development [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

https://winona.learn.minnstate.edu/d2l/le/content/4409417/viewContent/37562333/V

iew