One of the most comprehensive theories of human development was provided by Urie Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenner studied Freud, Erikson, Piaget, and other learning theorists. He believed that all of those theories could be enhanced by adding the dimension of context. What is being taught and how society interprets situations depends on who is involved in the life of a child and on when and where a child lives.

Bronfenbrenner’s model explains the direct and indirect influences on an individual’s development. The Microsystem impacts a child directly. The microsystem includes all the people with whom the child directly interacts with, such as parents, peers, and teachers. The relationship between the child or individual and those around them needs to be considered. For example, to appreciate what is going on with a student in math, the relationship between the student and teacher should be known. The Mesosystem includes the interactions between those who surround the individual. For example, the relationship between parents and schools will indirectly affect the child. Larger institutions such as the mass media or the healthcare system are referred to as the exosystem. These institutions have an impact on families, peers, and schools who operate under policies and regulations found in these institutions. We find cultural values and beliefs at the level of macrosystems. These larger ideals and expectations inform institutions that will ultimately impact the individual. All of this happens in an historic context referred to as the chronosystem. Cultural values change over time as do policies of educational institutions or governments in certain political climates. Development occurs at a point in time.

So in order to understand a student in math, we can’t simply look at that individual and what challenges they face directly with the subject.

We have to look at the interactions that occur between teacher and child. Perhaps the teacher needs to make modifications as well. The teacher may be responding to regulations made by the school such as new expectations for students in math or constraints on time that interfere with the teacher’s ability to instruct. These new demands may be a response to national efforts to promote math and science deemed important by a political leaders in response to relations with other countries at a particular time in history.

In sum, this model challenges us to go beyond the individual if we want to understand human development and promote improvements.

Let’s put this theory in the context of early childhood special education. In the course syllabus, I explained to you my inspiration in teaching this course, my nephew Benny. Let’s apply Brofenbrenner’s theory to create an eco-map for him.

As we previously defined the microsystem, Benny’s microsystem included his parents Carmen and Benito, his sister Lorena, and his kindergarten teacher. Benny had a large extended family on both sides (maternal and paternal), though we did not live in the same city, often times we saw him and interacted with him, so we were part of his microsystem. Also, included in this microsystem are his kindergarten friends, as he saw them every day at school.

Remember that it was during his kindergarten years that Benny was diagnosed, and his progressive condition made an impact on receiving school services. The fact that his parents were having meetings at school to find a more inclusive approach to education happened in the mesosystem. The modification to PE activities, the adaptations for him to not line up after recess as he progressed; the conversations to switch from a walker to a wheelchair, the accommodations for support and privacy to use the restroom and many more planning aspects happened in the context of relationships in the mesosystem.

Remember what I said about my sister being supported by her colleagues? They actually taught all her Bio-Chemistry classes in the local high school. In exchange, she became a stay-home mom who worked from home grading all her colleagues work. This is part of the professional relationships through work. It required the flexibility of the principal, the willingness of other Bio-Chemistry instructors, and a restructure of their teaching schedules. In a country where there was limited opportunity for that type of support, her colleague networking made this possible. All of these happened in the context of the exosystem. In the exosystem as well, many other opportunities took place. The fact that he and his family had a USA Visa to travel from Mexico to the United States made possible that he would receive services at the Shriner’s hospital in California. Jerry Lewis who was public figure who supported by organizing telethons for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) made possible services for Benny and many other children with this condition and so on. These were just a few examples.

Now, I would highlight that the fact that the treatment was approved by the US Immigration Customs department at the time was also essential and it was part of the chronosystem. Back in these years, there was a much more friendlier relationship between USA and Mexico for treating patients in the USA. The fact that the opportunity was available for him at the time makes this aspect be part of the chronosystem.  Another big aspect that happened in the chronosystem was his diagnosis at age 5.