WHY POOR PEOPLE REMAIN POOR? | Urie Bronfenbrenners Ecological Systems Theory
Summary
TLDRThe 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
🔒 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.
🌳 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Income Quintile
💡Ecological Systems Theory
💡Head Start Program
💡Microsystem
💡Meso System
💡Exosystem
💡Macro System
💡Chrono System
💡Social Mobility
💡Developmental Disadvantages
💡Yuri Bronfenbrenner
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
for more thought-provoking content
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