ABSTRACT
Uri Bronfenbrenner argued that development can only be understood by considering the developing person and their surroundings together. Bronfenbrenner specified what should be counted as 'development' as distinct from 'behaviour currently shown'. A 'system' is a collection of elements with relationships which describe how one element affects the others. A system has a boundary, and its behaviour may affect the behaviour of other systems through its outputs. Bronfenbrenner's ecological system draws attention to the macrosystem of society as a whole, in which attitudes, events and interactions at the large-scale level eventually affect the individual. The ecological model pays equal attention to the range of influences on a child's development, including those in which the child has no part. Bronfenbrenner proposes a theoretical framework for how theory needs to be understood. He uses a range of empirical studies, and his model is deeply concerned with improving the care of children and support for families.
