WHY POOR PEOPLE REMAIN POOR? | Urie Bronfenbrenners Ecological Systems Theory

Summary

The video script explores the persistent cycle of poverty through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, presented to Congress in 1964. It highlights how environmental factors, from family to societal norms, influence individual development. The script details the five levels of environmental influence and discusses the Head Start program, emphasizing the importance of quality education, health care, and social services in breaking the cycle of poverty and enabling children to reach their full potential.

Takeaways

• 📊 In both the United States and the United Kingdom, approximately 40-42% of children born into the lowest income quintile remain there as adults, highlighting the persistence of poverty across generations.
• 🌱 Yuri Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory posits that the environment, rather than biology or genetics, is the key factor in why poor people stay poor.
• 🏛 Bronfenbrenner presented his theory to the U.S. Congress in 1964, aiming to influence policy and demonstrate the importance of environmental factors in human development.
• 👶 The Head Start program, initiated in 1965, was influenced by Bronfenbrenner's theory and has served over 35 million children and families, focusing on providing a fair start through education, health care, nutrition, and social services.
• 🌐 Bronfenbrenner identified five levels of environmental influence: the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem, each with varying degrees of direct and indirect impact on individuals.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The microsystem involves immediate interactions and can be negatively affected by poverty, limiting opportunities and causing issues like low self-esteem and learning difficulties.
• 🔄 The mesosystem connects different microsystems and can influence development through interactions between, for example, family and school environments.
• 🏢 The exosystem includes indirect influences such as a parent's workplace or local government, which can impact the microsystem and, consequently, an individual's development.
• 🌍 The macrosystem encompasses broader cultural values, norms, and societal structures that shape the context of development and affect all other ecological systems levels.
• ⏳ The chronosystem reflects changes over time, showing that development is dynamic and influenced by life stages and historical events.
• 🔗 Bronfenbrenner's vision was to change perceptions about children's development by emphasizing the interconnectedness of ecological systems and the collective responsibility to foster supportive environments.

Q & A

What percentage of children born to parents in the bottom income quintile in the United States remain there as adults?

Approximately 42 percent of children born to parents in the bottom income quintile in the United States remain in the same quintile as adults.

What is the ecological systems theory proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner?

The ecological systems theory is a concept that explains how different aspects of our environment influence our development throughout our lives, consisting of five levels of environmental influences: the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.

What was the purpose of Bronfenbrenner presenting his ecological systems theory to the U.S. Congress in 1964?

Bronfenbrenner wanted to convince Congress that the reason poor people stayed poor was not due to biology or genetics, but due to their surroundings, and that changing their environment could help them overcome poverty.

What government program was formed as a result of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory?

The Head Start program was formed in 1965, based on the idea that every child deserves a fair start in life, providing quality education, health care, nutrition, and social services to help overcome the disadvantages of poverty.

How has the Head Start program impacted the lives of children and families since its inception?

The Head Start program has served more than 35 million poor children and families, aiming to help them achieve their full potential by addressing the disadvantages of poverty.

What was Bronfenbrenner's motivation for studying children in their natural settings rather than artificial laboratory settings?

Bronfenbrenner believed that studying children in artificial settings did not capture the complexity and diversity of human development and ignored the role of the environment, which he wanted to include in his research.

What are the five levels of environmental influences in Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory?

The five levels are the microsystem (direct interactions), mesosystem (connections between microsystems), exosystem (indirect influences), macrosystem (cultural values and norms), and chronosystem (changes over time).

How does being poor affect the microsystem of a person?

Being poor can create a negative microsystem by limiting access to basic resources, having parents who are unemployed or underpaid, and being surrounded by negative influences such as crime or unqualified teachers, which can affect a person's development negatively.

What is the role of the mesosystem in a person's development according to Bronfenbrenner's theory?

The mesosystem connects different microsystems and influences development through the interactions that occur between them, such as the relationship between parents and teachers or friends and siblings.

How does the exosystem affect a person indirectly?

The exosystem includes settings that a person does not directly participate in but that affect their microsystem, such as parents' workplaces, school boards, or local government, influencing development through their impact on someone else in the microsystem.

What is the significance of the chronosystem in understanding human development?

The chronosystem reflects the changes or transitions over time, showing that development is a dynamic and evolving process influenced by life stages, events, and historical or social trends.

Outlines

00:00

🔒 Socioeconomic Inequality and the Ecological Systems Theory

This paragraph discusses the persistent issue of poverty across generations in developed countries like the United States and the United Kingdom, highlighting the statistics that show a significant portion of children born into poverty remain there as adults. It introduces Yuri Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, which posits that environmental factors, rather than biology or genetics, are the primary determinants of whether poor people stay poor. Bronfenbrenner's theory was instrumental in the formation of the Head Start program, aimed at providing underprivileged children with education, healthcare, nutrition, and social services to help them overcome poverty. The paragraph also delves into Bronfenbrenner's personal background, his dissatisfaction with traditional child development studies, and his belief in the importance of studying children in their natural environments to understand the full scope of environmental influences.

05:01

🌳 Understanding the Layers of Environmental Influence

The second paragraph expands on Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory by detailing the five levels of environmental influence on human development: the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. Each system represents a different level of interaction and impact, from the immediate environment of personal relationships (microsystem) to the broader societal and cultural context (macrosystem). The paragraph explains how poverty can negatively affect each of these systems, leading to a cycle of disadvantage that is difficult to break. It also discusses the importance of considering time and change (chronosystem) in understanding development, emphasizing that growth is not static but evolves with life experiences and historical context. The paragraph concludes by reflecting on Bronfenbrenner's vision of interconnected ecological systems and the collective responsibility to foster supportive environments for all.

Keywords

💡Income Quintile

Income quintile refers to one of five equal parts into which the population can be divided according to income levels, with each quintile representing 20% of the population. In the video's context, it highlights the issue of children born into the lowest quintile often remaining there as adults, indicating a lack of social mobility.

💡Ecological Systems Theory

Developed by Yuri Bronfenbrenner, the Ecological Systems Theory posits that human development is influenced by various interconnected environmental systems. The theory is central to the video's theme, emphasizing the impact of surroundings on an individual's life outcomes, particularly in relation to poverty.

💡Head Start Program

The Head Start Program is a U.S. government initiative aimed at providing comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. It exemplifies the practical application of Bronfenbrenner's theory, showing an attempt to break the cycle of poverty through early intervention.

💡Microsystem

The microsystem is the first level of Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, representing the immediate environment where an individual interacts with people and objects. The video uses the microsystem to illustrate how a child's development can be negatively impacted by poverty, such as through limited resources and low-quality education.

💡Meso System

The meso system is the second level of the theory, describing the interconnections between two or more microsystems. The video mentions how a poor meso system can affect development, such as when parents' lack of involvement with schools leads to less support for a child's education.

💡Exosystem

The exosystem is the third level, which includes settings that indirectly affect an individual, like a parent's workplace or local government. The video script discusses how external stressors, such as job loss, can indirectly impact a child's development through changes in the microsystem.

💡Macro System

The macro system is the fourth level, encompassing the broader cultural context, including societal values, norms, and laws. The video explains how living in a democratic country with certain values can influence opportunities and rights, contrasting with more restrictive societies.

💡Chrono System

The chrono system is the final level of Bronfenbrenner's model, accounting for the changes over time in an individual's life and environment. The video script uses this concept to show how development is dynamic, affected by life events and historical context.

💡Social Mobility

Social mobility refers to the ability of individuals or families to move between social classes. The video script uses statistics on children remaining in the same income quintile as their parents to highlight the lack of social mobility in developed countries.

💡Developmental Disadvantages

Developmental disadvantages refer to the negative conditions or factors that hinder an individual's growth and development. The video discusses how poverty creates a negative microsystem, leading to a range of issues from low self-esteem to learning difficulties.

💡Yuri Bronfenbrenner

Yuri Bronfenbrenner was a Russian-born American psychologist known for his work in developmental psychology and the creation of the Ecological Systems Theory. The video script details his personal background and professional contributions, showing his motivation to understand and address the impact of environment on development.

Highlights

In the US, about 42% of children born to parents in the bottom income quintile remain in the same quintile as adults.

In the UK, around 40% of individuals born into the poorest fifth of the population remain in that income group as adults.

Yuri Bronfenbrenner developed the ecological systems theory to explain how different aspects of our environment influence our development throughout our lives.

Bronfenbrenner presented his theory to the U.S. Congress in 1964 to convince them that poverty is a matter of environment, not biology or genetics.

The ecological systems theory helped form the Head Start program in 1965, which has served over 35 million poor children and families.

The Head Start program is based on the idea that every child deserves a fair start in life and can overcome poverty with quality education, health care, nutrition, and social services.

Bronfenbrenner's family moved to America when he was six, seeking a better life, and he grew up in Pittsburgh and Letchworth Village, NY.

Yuri was fascinated by patients at a hospital for people with developmental disabilities and wondered what caused their conditions and how they could be helped.

Bronfenbrenner believed studying children in natural settings with their families, friends, teachers, etc. was more effective than traditional lab settings.

The ecological systems theory identifies five levels of environmental influences: microsystem, meso system, exosystem, macro system, and chrono system.

The microsystem is the closest level, containing face-to-face interactions with people and objects that directly influence our development.

Poverty can create a negative microsystem, limiting opportunities and causing issues like low self-esteem, behavioral problems, and learning difficulties.

The meso system connects two or more microsystems, where interactions between different environments influence each other.

Being poor can result in a weak meso system, with parents not caring about education or lacking resources to communicate with teachers.

The exosystem includes indirect influences from settings we don't participate in, like parents' workplaces or school boards.

The macro system encompasses broad cultural values, beliefs, norms, laws, and customs that shape the context of development.

The chrono system reflects changes or transitions over time in us or our environment, showing development as a dynamic, evolving process.

Bronfenbrenner's vision was to change the world by changing how we think about children and their environment, emphasizing our interconnectedness and responsibility to create positive environments.

Yuri Bronfenbrenner passed away in 2005, but his legacy and impact on understanding child development and addressing poverty continue.

Transcripts

in the United States Studies have shown

that about 42 percent of children born

to parents in the bottom income quintile

remain in the same quintile as adults in

the United Kingdom research has

indicated that around 40 percent of

individuals Born Into the poorest fifth

of the population remain in that income

group as adults these are the statistics

of the world's most developed countries

why is this why do the poor remain poor

Yuri bronfenbrenner came up with a

theory that explained how different

aspects of our environment influence our

development throughout our lives he

called it the ecological systems theory

and he presented it to the U.S Congress

in 1964. he wanted to convince them that

the reason poor people stayed poor was

not a matter of biology or genetics but

a matter of their surroundings he wanted

to show them that to help those less

fortunate we also need to change their

environment with his theory he helped

form the Head Start program in 1965. a

government program that has served more

than 35 million poor children and

families since

the Head Start program is based on the

idea that every child deserves a fair

start in life and that providing them

with quality Education Health Care

nutrition and Social Services can help

them overcome the disadvantages of

poverty and achieve their full potential

but why did he do that what was his

theory what was his motivation what led

to such a great impact when he was six

years old his family decided to leave

Russia and move to America in search of

a better life they settled in Pittsburgh

where Yuri went to school and learned

English Yuri's family moved again when

he was seven this time to a rural area

in New York state called Letchworth

Village his father got a job at a

hospital for people with developmental

disabilities Yuri often visited his

father at work and he was fascinated by

the patients he met there he wondered

what caused their conditions and how

they could be helped he also noticed how

different their environment was from his

own and how that affected their

development

Yuri's interest in human development

grew as he continued his education Yuri

was not satisfied with the traditional

methods of studying children in

artificial laboratory settings where

they interacted with strangers in

unfamiliar situations for a short period

of time he thought that these methods

did not capture the complexity and

diversity of human development and that

they ignored the role of the environment

he wanted to study children in their

natural settings where they interacted

with their families friends teachers

neighbors and communities but what did

he mean by environment and how did it

affect our development Yuri proposed

that there are five levels of

environmental influences on human

development which he called the

microsystem the Miso system the

exosystem the macro system and the

Chrono system these levels are nested

within each other like Russian dolls and

each one has a different degree of

direct or indirect impact on us the

microsystem is the closest level to us

it is the environment that contains us

and our face-to-face interactions with

other people and objects for example our

family our friends our classmates our

teachers our pets our toys these are the

people and things that we interact with

on a daily basis and that have a direct

influence on our development for

instance our parents May teach us

certain values and behaviors our friends

May influence our interests and hobbies

our teachers May shape our academic

skills and aspirations being poor can

create a negative microsystem for the

person that would limit their

opportunities and potential they may

have to deal with a lack of basic

resources such as food water electricity

and health care they may have parents

who are unemployed or underpaid they may

have friends who are involved in gangs

or crime who drop out of school they may

have teachers who are unqualified or

unmotivated who have low expectations or

stereotypes of them who do not provide

them with adequate support or feedback

these factors can affect a person's

development by causing low self-esteem

poor social skills behavioral problems

learning difficulties and mental health

issues the meso system is the next level

of the ecological systems theory it is

the environment that connects two or

more Microsystems together it is where

the interactions between different

Microsystems occur and where they

influence each other for example our

parents May communicate with our

teachers about our progress at school or

our friends may visit us at home and

play with our siblings these

interactions can have positive or

negative effects on our development for

instance if our parents and teachers

have a good relationship and cooperate

to support our learning we may feel more

motivated and confident at school on the

other hand if our friends and siblings

don't get along well and fight all the

time we may feel stressed and unhappy at

home being poor can create a weak meso

system for the person for instance their

parents may not care about their

education or do not have the time or

resources to communicate with their

teachers the exo system is the third

level of the ecological systems theory

it is the environment that includes the

environmental settings that affect us

indirectly these are the the places or

institutions that we do not directly

participate in but that have an

influence on our Microsystems for

example our parents workplace our school

board our local government the media Etc

these are the factors that affect us

through their impact on someone else in

our microsystem for instance if our

parents have a stressful job or lose

their income Source they may become less

available or more irritable with us at

home or if our school board decides to

change the curriculum or cut some

programs due to low budget we may have

to adjust to new expectations or lose

some opportunities

these factors can affect our development

by causing stress anxiety and

frustration from the external forces

that affect us negatively the macro

system is the fourth level of ecological

systems theory it is the environment

that encompasses the broad cultural

values beliefs Norms laws and customs of

the society or group that we belong to

these are the factors that shape the

general context of development and that

influence all the other levels of

ecological systems theory these are the

factors that Define who we are as a

member of a larger community and that

affect how we perceive ourselves and

others for instance if we live in a

democratic country that values freedom

and equality we may have more rights and

opportunities than someone who lives in

an authoritarian or country that

restricts individual expression and

diversity or if we belong to a minority

group that faces discrimination and

Prejudice we may face more challenges

and barriers than someone who belongs to

a dominant group that enjoys privilege

and Power

the Chrono system is the fifth and final

level of ecological systems theory it is

the environment that reflects the

changes or transitions that occur over

time in us or our environment these are

the factors that affect how development

unfolds across different stages of life

and how it is influenced by historical

events or social trends for example our

age our life events Our Generation

Etc these are the factors that Mark how

we grow and change as individuals and

how we adapt to new circumstances or

challenges the Chrono system is

important because it shows that

development is not a fixed or static

process but rather a dynamic and

evolving one that varies across time and

context for instance if we experience a

traumatic event such as losing a loved

one or witnessing violence we may

develop emotional or behavioral problems

that affect our well-being and

functioning or if we live in a time of

Rapid technological or social change we

may have to learn new skills or cope

with new demands that were not present

before Yuri's Vision was to change the

world by changing the way we think about

children and their environment he wanted

to show us that we are all connected by

ecological systems and that we all have

a responsibility to create positive and

supportive environments for ourselves

and others Yuri passed away in 2005 but

his legacy lives on like And subscribe

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