Adoption from an Ecological Theory Perspective

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Recommended: Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory

Introduction The developing person is effected by much more than their immediate situation, therefore Bronfenbrenner developed a theory that encompasses all of the surroundings that may influence a child and emphasizes the importance of the mutual relationships between each of these environments (Bristor, 2010). The interaction between surroundings is just as important as the environments themselves as these connections and transactions result in change and alteration in both the individual and their surroundings. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory accentuates the family as the most important environmental influence on the child as family members have a direct effect on the child through care, education and support as well as serve as links to other environments to the child such as school or the community (Bristor, 2010). Family is defined as those related to one another through blood, marriage or adoption but can also take many other forms and is defined in varying ways (Cobb, 2014a). Adopted children are exposed to diverse environments throughout their lifetime in terms of pre-adoption, during adoption and even after adoption in comparison to those who live with their biological parents. This leads to development in children that are adopted that differs greatly from non-adopted children in respect to mental, behavioral and social development (Ward, 2011, p.175). Due to the multitude of various factors and environments involved in adoption it seems appropriate to use Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory to examine the effect that takes place between each level as well as the interrelations that take place between environments. Analyzing the effect of adoption on all divisions of the ecological system can be essential for not on... ... middle of paper ... ...placements (Hong et al., 2011). These social trends and implications have a large umbrella of influence and even have close impact on individual children within the adoption system. Conclusion A child going through the process of adoption experiences many different settings and situation, the accumulation of these environmental elements are what shape and influence the overall development of the child. Bronfrenbrenner’s ecological theory organizes and characterizes these environments and their influence on the individual as well as emphasizes the importance of their relations with the child as well as with one another in affecting the advancement of the individual (Hong et al., 2011). The ecological systems theory therefore acts as a framework in an effort to understand all that influences a child as they experience adoption and all that proceeds and follows it.

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