Urie Bronfenbrenner: The Ecology of Human Development Book Review

Abstract

Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) was an influential, Russian developmental psychologist. He was mostly known for developing the ecology of human development, which altered the way researchers understand child development in relation to the environment. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Music in Cornell University. In 1940, he received his Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University; and in 1942, he received his Doctoral degree in Psychology from University of Michigan. In 1948, Bronfenbrenner joined the faculty in Cornell University and served there until his journey in this world ended in 2005. He was titled as Jacob Gould Sherman Professor Emeritus of Human Development and Psychology in Cornell University (Ceci, 2006). Bronfenbrenner was an influential scholar in the field of developmental psychology, creating a new point of view to human development by incorporating the context in which a child develops. According to Bronfenbrenner, the development of human beings is not only psychological, but it consists of four sources: culture, society, economy and politics. The book, in which he explained these sources in relation to the human development process, The Ecology of Human Development was accepted as one of his benchmarks. Even though it was criticized, ecological theory is an important contribution to the field, leading to the foundation of Head Start program in United States. In addition, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory created the path towards an interdisciplinary approach to human development studies (Ceci, 2006).