Bio-Ecological Perspectives
What is a Theory – Why Are Theories Important?
Life-Span Developmental Theory
How to understand the Trajectory of Individual Development Over Time
Traditional debate revolves around contributions of nature vs nurture – “essentially meaningless and functionally useless” mutual influence
Developmental/contextual Perspective on Life-span Development
Bronfenbrenner
Lerner
Assumptions of D/C Perspective
1. Potential for growth exists at all stages of life
2. Continuity and change - Epigenetic Principle (predetermined vs probabilistic)
3. Importance of Context
4. Context is Grounded in Time
BASIC MODEL OVERVIEW – TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE FACTORS THAT SHAPE THE TRAJECTORY OF DEVELOP OVER THE ENTIRE LIFE COURSE
3 Basic Categories of Shapers:
Individual Contributions
Environmental Contributions
Time
historical time family history chronological age family life events
Individual Contributions
Genetics and the Trajectory of Development
“Constructions of Reality” what is “meta-cognition”
2 Goals for Today’s Lecture:
Understanding of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems
Understanding of How Context is Bounded in Time
Environmental Contributions to the Trajectory of Development Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems
Macro-system Influences
Individualism versus Collectivism
Hierarchy versus Egalitarianism
Exo-system Influences
Micro-system Influences
Meso-System Influences
Time/Chronosystem
the historical Events that occur over time and the events that we experience personally over time both have an impact on the trajectory of development
History and Cohorts
What is a Cohort?
What Events Influence Cohorts?
Normative History-Graded Events
Normative Socio-Cultural Graded Events
What Personal History Events Impact on The Course of Development?
Normative Events
Non-normative Events
THE FAMILY As a Conext
Everyone Knows What a Family Is!
Defining Features of a Family
A Shared Sense of History
Some Degree of Emotional Bonding
Strategies for Meeting the Needs of Family Members
What are examples of these needs?
2 Central Dimensions Defining a Family
Family Composition –eg., single-Parent Headed; NUCLEAR; DIVORCED; BLENDED
Family Dynamics – how family members interact with one another First Focusing on Composition
what’s Unique about today’s families?
more diverse than ever in terms of composition
what accounts for this diversity?
divorce and remarriage rates out of wedlock birth rates cohabitation rates cultural acknowledgement of gay/lesbian relationships
SHIFTING THE FOCUS TO PATTERNS OF INTERCTION - FAMILY SYSTEMS THEORY
WHY THE SYSTEM’S METAPHOR?
STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES OF FAMILIES
WHOLENESS
ORGANIZATIONAL COMPLEXITY
INTERDEPENDENCE
STRATEGIES, RULES, CUSTOMS
TASKS
2 TYPES OF FAMILY SYSTEM TASKS
FIRST-ORDER TASKS
SECOND-ORDER TASKS
FIRST-ORDER TASKS
IDENTITY TASKS
BOUNDARY TASKS
MAINTENANCE TASKS
MANAGING THE EMOTIONAL CLIMATE
THE CONSTELLATION OF IDENTITY TASKS
FAMILY THEMES
RESOURCES AND THEMES
TIME
ENERGY
MONEY
CRITICAL PERSONAL IMAGES
COMMENT OF FAMILY MYTHS
BIO-SOCIAL TASKS
GENDER
SEXUALITY
BOUNDARY TASKS –REGULATING CONNECTIONS
EXTERNAL BOUNDARIES
OPEN VERSUS CLOSED
INTERNAL BOUNDARIES
ENMESHED
DISENGAGED
RELATIVELY BALANCED
MAINTENANCE TASKS
HOUSEKEEPING
FLEXIBILITY
UNDER-ORGANIZED
OVER-ORGANIZED
FINANCES
THE SYMBOLIC SIGNIFICANCE OF MONEY!
PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS COMMUNICATED THROUGH THE STRATEGIES THAT ARE ADOPTED FOR THE EXECUTION OF THESE TASKS
MANAGING THE EMOTIONAL CLIMATE
NURTURANCE
ALL BEHAVIOR IS COMMUNICATION
MESSAGES AND META-MESSAGES
FRAMING
CONNECTION
CONTROL
CONFLICT
CONTAINED VERSUS UNCONTAINED
TRIANGULATION
CROSS-GENERATIONAL COALITIONS
SECOND-ORDER TASKS – MANAGING