A Biological and

Sociocultural Approach
to the Self

Ateneo de Manila University

Urie Bronfenbrenner
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory

Bioecological Systems Theory

Process-Person-Context-Time Model
Process – ongoing, everyday
interactions that people have
with the other people, the
objects, and the symbols in their
everyday environments.
Process-Person-Context-Time Model
Proximal Process is the engine of self
development! Defined as:
...progressively more complex reciprocal
interaction between an active, evolving
biopsychological human organism & the
persons, objects, symbols in its immediate
external environment... interactions occur
on a fairly regular basis over extended
periods of time.
Process-Person-Context-Time Model
Person – Personal characteristics
that individuals play in social
interactions.
Process-Person-Context-Time Model
•Demand – "personal stimulus”
characteristics that act as an
immediate stimulus to another person.
•Resource – characteristics that relate
partly to mental and emotional
resources.
•Force – differences of temperament,
motivation, drive, persistence, etc.
Process-Person-Context-Time Model
•The context is the
environment.

•Subsystems in
Bronfenbrenner’s
Bioecological
Systems
Process-Person-Context-Time Model
Subsystems in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems
1. MICROSYSTEM
• The first in any environment in
which the developing person spends
a good deal of time engaging in
activities and interactions.
• Proximal Processes take place in
the microsystem.
Process-Person-Context-Time Model
Subsystems in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems

2. MESOSYSTEM
•Interrelations amongst
microsystems.
Process-Person-Context-Time Model
Subsystems in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems

3. EXOSYSTEM
• Settings that do NOT directly
involve the individual but in which
events occur that affect the
individual.
Process-Person-Context-Time Model
Subsystems in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems

4. MACROSYSTEM
• The outermost layer in the child’s
environment.
• This layer is comprised of cultural
values, customs, and laws
Process-Person-Context-Time Model

• It measures an individual’s development, these

interactions occur on a measurable,
chronological scale.
• Specific events and changes over time.
Process-Person-Context-Time Model
Subsystems in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems

5. CHRONOSYSTEM
• Life transitions experienced over the
course of historical time and
sociohistorical events across time.
Subsystems in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems