Ecological Systems Theory and the Techno-Subsystem
In her studies regarding children and their use of the Internet, Johnson (2010) proposed the we utilize a theory she terms the "Ecological Techno-Subsystem" Theory. The Ecological Techno-Subsystem Theory further builds upon the work of Urie Bronfenbrenner's work during the late 1970's, and furthers his notions of the Ecological Systems Theory (1979). This theory presents a "particularly comprehensive view of environmental influences on development by situating the child within a system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment" (Johnson, 2010, p. 177). Put differently, Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory carefully looks at the environmental factors which affect the development of children, including family status, income, cultural values and beliefs, etc.
In order to break down and better understand these various environmental factors, Bronfenbrenner organized them into five nested environmental systems :
1) Microsystem: refers to the immediate environment and includes home and school
interactions
2) Mesosytem: refers to the connections between immediate environments (for example,
home-school interactions)
3) Exosystem: refers to the environmental settings that indirectly affect child development (for
example, parent's workplace)
4) Macrosystem: refers to the overarching social ideologies and cultural values
5) Chronosystem: refers to the effect of time on all systems and all developmental processes
Interestingly, Bronfenbrenner's work emerged before what Johnson (2010) refers to as the Internet Revolution (p. 178). In extrapolating Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, Johnson and Puplampu (2008) proposed their Ecological Techno-Subsystem Theory. This further classification theory looks closely at a child's interaction of both living and nonliving elements of communication, information and recreational technologies within their immediate environment (Johnson, 2010, p. 178). The nonliving elements include factors such as peers and family interactions, while nonliving elements refer to factors such as cell phones, computer software, portable audio devices, and the Internet. Johnson and Puplampu also believe that as the tools, which extend human capability improve and continue to increase, humans will also continue to increase in regards to the complexity of their cognitive processes (Johnson, 2010, p. 178).
In order to break down and better understand these various environmental factors, Bronfenbrenner organized them into five nested environmental systems :
1) Microsystem: refers to the immediate environment and includes home and school
interactions
2) Mesosytem: refers to the connections between immediate environments (for example,
home-school interactions)
3) Exosystem: refers to the environmental settings that indirectly affect child development (for
example, parent's workplace)
4) Macrosystem: refers to the overarching social ideologies and cultural values
5) Chronosystem: refers to the effect of time on all systems and all developmental processes
Interestingly, Bronfenbrenner's work emerged before what Johnson (2010) refers to as the Internet Revolution (p. 178). In extrapolating Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, Johnson and Puplampu (2008) proposed their Ecological Techno-Subsystem Theory. This further classification theory looks closely at a child's interaction of both living and nonliving elements of communication, information and recreational technologies within their immediate environment (Johnson, 2010, p. 178). The nonliving elements include factors such as peers and family interactions, while nonliving elements refer to factors such as cell phones, computer software, portable audio devices, and the Internet. Johnson and Puplampu also believe that as the tools, which extend human capability improve and continue to increase, humans will also continue to increase in regards to the complexity of their cognitive processes (Johnson, 2010, p. 178).
Resources:
Johnson, G.M. (2010). Internet Use and Child Development: Validation of the Ecological Techno-Subsystem. Educational Technology & Society, 13 (1), 176-185.
Johnson, G.M. (2010). Internet Use and Child Development: Validation of the Ecological Techno-Subsystem. Educational Technology & Society, 13 (1), 176-185.