Bronfenbrenner Ecological Framework

The essay looks at how social work theory is instrumental to social work practice. Using theory, one can explain and justify the intervention in this case. Glynis in Gwanmesia (2010,p.1) argues that theory notes, “A set of propositions which posit the nature of the relationships between predefined constructs or variables”. According to Orme, assessment is an ongoing process that seeks to understand the service user’s situation and sets the basis for planning, change or improvement (Bolger and Walker, no date). Making a good assessment requires knowledge and application of theory in order to recognise a person’s need (Bolger and Walker, no date). Theories will provide a means of explaining Oliva’s behaviour, the types of relationship she may

The next couple of paragraphs will utilise Bronfenbrenner ecological framework to capture Olivia’s interactions, by doing so we would be able to identify her venerability, as well as identify her capacity for positive change. Bronfenbrenner believed every child has a set of variables that affects life and development; “these variables must be considered in order to understand the child’s values, beliefs, achievements, and behaviours” (Victor-Valley-College, no date). The variables looked at in this essay includes attachment, family systems and socio-economic factors which all occurs at different levels of the Ecological-system. Bronfenbrenner (1979, p.4) argues that children in modern industrialised societies are the conditions of the parental environment. He continued to say that in order to understand human development, one must take into account the environment where growth occurs (1979,p.16). He described the ecological model as four concentric circles/ systems ‘nested’ within the next around a focal individual (1979,p.22). Bronfenbrenner (1979) identified these systems as- the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem and macrosystem.

It is the layer of the system that is closest to the child, the system that allows for socialisation. In this system the child forms relationships, develop skills and gain knowledge of norms that will enable them to enter into the general society. Every child can have multiple microsystems. The duration of each microsystem varies some last a lifetime, other last the duration of the child’s education, others are short terms like sports clubs and dance classes (Victor Valley College, no date). Below is an illustration of Oliva’s