Ecological Map David Richardson

1. Ecological Map David Richardson David is 15 years of age and comes from a single-parent family, with a low socioeconomic status. His mother works night shifts as a nurse, and therefore is often not around. David performs well academically at his local public highschool, but is finding himself led astray by his friends. Profile

2. Macrosystem Exosystem Mesosystem Microsystem David Richardson • mother • school friends • local public highschool • grandmother • grandfather This is the layer closest to the adolescent. It includes the structures with which they have direct contact, inside their immediate environment. Influence is bi-directional – both towards and away from adolescent. E.g. family, school, friends Microsystem

3. Macrosystem Exosystem Mesosystem teachers mother grandparents school mother friends Microsystem David Richardson This layer contains the relationships between the different structures in the adolescent’s Microsystem. Whilst there is no direct contact with the adolescent, they are affected indirectly by these connections. E.g. between a teacher and a student’s parents. Mesosystem

4. Macrosystem Exosystem • Mother’s workplace: hospital, as a nurse. shift work, works nights often not home single income, when David is. less money to provide for David. Mesosystem Microsystem David Richardson This is the larger system within which the adolescent does not directly operate. However, these structures can still affect the adolescent indirectly through another structure in their Microsystem. E.g. a parent’s workplace – income, hours. Exosystem

5. Macrosystem • Australian culture •Government Child Support Agency (CSA), Family Tax Benefit • Society’s views on single-parent families Exosystem Mesosystem Microsystem David Richardson This is the outermost layer in the Ecological System. These structures influence the adolescent by spilling into the way in which all the other structures function. E.g. societal view on single-parent families may lead to a teacher’s prejudice. Macrosystem

6. Macrosystem • Australian culture •Government Child Support Agency (CSA), Family Tax Benefit • Society’s views on single-parent families Exosystem • Mother’s workplace: hospital, as a nurse. shift work, works nights often not home single income, when David is. less money to provide for David. Mesosystem teachers mother grandparents school mother friends Microsystem David Richardson • mother • school friends • local public highschool • grandmother • grandfather Ecological Systems Bronfenbrenner’sEgological Systems Theory describes a child’s (or in this case, adolescent’s) development as affected by the many structures in their environment, and the relationships between them.

7. Australian Statistics on Adolescents

8. Reference List: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009) Snapshots of Australian families with adolescents. Retrieved March 18, 2009 from http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/snapshots/adolescents/adolescents.html Child Support Agency (Australian Government). (2008) Information for parents who receive Family Tax Benefit. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://www.csa.gov.au/ParentsAndCarers/familyTaxBenefit.aspx Paquette, D. Ryan, J. (2001) Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. Retrieved March 12, 2009 from http://pt3.nl.edu/paquetteryanwebquest.pdf