Helena Hurme bo Akademi Vasa Perhetutkimuksen pivt 13

Helena Hurme, Åbo Akademi, Vasa Perhetutkimuksen päivät 13. 3. 2008, Jyväskylä

Outline of the presentation I. Some words about Uri Bronfenbrenner II. Some words about developmental theory III. The roots of Bronfenbrenner’s theory IV. Bronfenbrenner’s theory today V. Bronfenbrenner’s theory and the family: some applications

I. Some words about Juri Bronfenbrenner was born in Moscow in 1917 He came to America at the age of 6 He studied with Kurt Lewin His impact was strong in the Head Start program in the US He worked most of his life at Cornell University

II. Some words about developmental theory • Bronfenbrenner’s theory is a developmental theory • Like any theory, a developmental theory must be testable • A developmental theory should state it’s scope • A developmental theory should define the central concepts and their relations • A developmental theory should state what drives development, which the mechanisms are • This is what distinguishes theories from each other

II. The roots of Bronfenbrenner’s theory • American psychology was dominated by learning theory around WW 2 • Functionalism was a strong trend, stressing practical uses of research • European researchers brought with them psychoanalysis and Gestalt psychology

The first formulation • Bronfenbrenner is best known for his division of the child’s environment into four concentric levels: • This formulation was presented in: • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press

Central more recent sources • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1986). Recent advances on the ecology of human development. In R. Silbereisen, K. Eyferth & G. Rudinger (Eds. ) Development as action in context. Problem behavior and normal youth development. Berlin: Springer. • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1989). Ecological systems theory. In Annals of Child Development, vol. 6, 187 -249. • Bronfenbrenner, U. & Morris, P. A. (1998). The Ecology of Developmental Processes. In W. Damon (Editor-in Chief & R. M. Lerner , (Volume Editor) ). Handbook of Child Psychology (5 th ed. ), Volume one: Theoretical models of human development. N. Y. : Wiley. • Bronfenbrenner, U. (2001). The bioecological theory of human development. In N. J. Smelser & P. B. Baltes (Eds. ) International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 10, pp. 6963 -6970. NY: Elsevier. . • Bronfenbrenner, U. (Ed. ) (2005). Making human beings human. Bioecological perspectives on human development. N. Y. : SAGE. • Bronfenbrenner, J. & Evans, G. W. (2000). Developmental science in the 21 st century: Emerging questions, theoretical models, research designs and empirical findings. Social Development, 9, 115 -1125.

Bronfenbrenner’s talk in 1993 on the role of time and proximal processes

Bronfenbrenner’s theory today: The bioecological model In the newer formulation, more dynamism was added Four components are essential 1. Process: Proximal processes 2. Person 3. Context 4. Time The PPCT model

1. Processes PROXIMAL PROCESSES • They are a particular form of interaction between the organism and the environment • They operate over time • They are the primary mechanisms producing human development • Gottlieb’s theory has a similar stress on proximal processes

2. Person characteristics 1. Dispositions, e. g. , temperament 2. Bioecological resources of ability: experience, knowledge and skill required for the effective functioning of proximal processes 3. Demand characteristics that invite or discourage reactions from the social environment of a kind that can foster or disrupt the operation of proximal processes

3. Environmental context • The person characteristics can also be characteristics of parents, relatives, close friends, teachers, mentors, coworkers, spouses and others • These are part of the microsystem • The interactions with objects and symbols in the environment are equally important

4. Time • Time was almost missing in the earlier versions • Time can be looked at on different levels: on the macro, meso, exo or micro level • Time is where development takes place • Proximal processes are differentially distributed over time • Different aspects of time are central: duration, regularity etc. • There are three types of time: o”Microtime refers to continuity versus discontinuity in proximal processes” o”Mesotime is the periodicity of these episodes across broader time intervals, such as days and weeks” o”Macrotime focuses on changing expectations and events in the larger society, both within and across generations, as they affect and are affected by, processes and outcomes of human development over the life course”

Defining properties of the bioecological model • Development refers to stability and change in biopsychological characteristics of human beings over the life course and across generations • Change is not only for the better • Forces producing stability and change across successive generations are as important as individual factors • In the model, a critical distinction is made between environment and process

Proposition I ”Especially in its early phases, but also throughout the life course, human development takes place through processes of progressively more complex reciprocal interaction between an active, evolving biopsychological human organism and the persons, objects and symbols in its immediate external environment. To be effective, the interaction must occur on a fairly regular basis over extended periods of time. Such enduring forms of interaction in the immediate environment are referred to as proximal processes. Examples of enduring patterns of proximal processes are found in feeding or comforting a baby, playing with a young child, child-child activities, group or solitary play, reading, learning new skills, athletic activities, problem solving, caring for others in distress, making plans, performing complex tasks, and acquiring new knowledge , and know-how. ” Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998, p. 996 in Handbook of Child Psychology

Proposition II ”The form, power, content, and direction of the proximal processes effecting development vary systematically as a joint function of the characteristics of the developing person; of the environment – both immediate and more remote – in which the processes are taking place; the nature of the developmental outcomes under consideration; and the social continuities and changes occurring over time through the life course and the historical period during which the person has lived” Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 1998, p. 996, Handbook of Child Psychology

Features of proximal processes 1. For development to occur, a person must engage in an activity 2. The activity has to be a) fairly regular and b) over an extended period of time • The following features of exposure are central: Duration: how long? Frequency: how often? Timing: when? Interruption: predictable or not? Intensity: how strong is the exposure? 3. The activities have to become increasinly more complex: repetition is not enough

4. The proximal processes must be reciprocal, not unidirectional 5. Proximal processes are not limited only to people 6. The moderating factors in Proposition II produce substantial changes in the content, timing and effectiveness of proximal processes • With increasing age, the proximal processes must be more complex • The principal persons change over time from parents to others

Features of developmental outcomes • Proximal processes may have two types of outcomes: competences and dysfunctions • Bronfenbrenner stipulates that ”The greater developmental impact of proximal processes on children growing up in disadvantaged or disorganized environments is to be expected to occur mainly for outcomes reflecting developmental dysfunction. By contrast, for outcomes indicating developmental competence, proximal processes are posited as likely to have greater impact in more advantaged and stable environments”

What does theory require of research designs? • All four components should be present in the design: • The PPCT proximal processes should be reciprocal • The processes/activities should be distinguished from the environment • Person characteristics should be included in the design • According to Proposition II, the developmental effects vary as a joint function of Person and Context o. The effects are not only additive, but multiplicative, synergistic o. The design must allow for interactions to be tested Bronfenbrenner and Morris call this ”developmental science in the discovery mode”

A possible research design Person characteristic (level) 1 Time 1 Context 1 Proximal Process (level) 2 Time 2 Context 2 Outcome Context 1 Context 2 Outcome Outcome Person characteristic (level) 2 Time 1 Context 1 Time 2 Context 1 Context 2 Proximal Process (level) 1 Outcome Proximal Process (level) 2 Outcome

IV. Bronfenbrenner’s theory and the family: Some applications Person variable: Difficult temperament Time 1 Context variable Non-divorced Divorced Time 2 Non-divorced Divorced Proximal Process Child rearing: harsh Child rearing: Non-harsh Outcome : GPA Outcome : GPA Person variable: Not difficult temperament Time 1 Context variable Non-divorced Divorced Time 2 Non-divorced Divorced Proximal Process Child rearing: harsh Child rearing: Non-harsh Outcome : GPA Outcome : GPA

An example from Bronfenbrenner & Ceci, 1994 Stephen Small’s and Tom Luster ’s study; GPA as outcome variabel Two levels of context : Maternal education high or low+ family structure single, both biological parents or own mother + stepfather Proximal processes: Six levels of parental monitoring

Could the logic be applied to qualitative analyses? Bronfenbrenner was himself involved only in quantitative research The same logic should apply in qualitative analyses The study of different person-related features in different contexts and different processes over time

My diagram of theory The macro level C O N T E X T The exo level The meso level The micro level PROCESS PERSON T I M E

Comments on theory • The biggest change compared with the first version of theory seems to be that the macro level is less prominent. • It still exists in the form of the context • The micro level has now become both proximal processes AND person factors AND the context • The family’s place is very prominent especially during the early years • The theory now is presented in a very testable form

My last picture A lunch in Chapel Hill 1997 The presentation will eventually appear on http: //vwww. abo. fi/users/hhurme/ http: //vwww. abo. fi/users/hhurme