Re-thinking Bronfenbrenner: A revised theoretical lens for promoting active citizenship in sustainability

D R S U E E L L I OT T

U N I V E RS I T Y O F N E W E N G L A N D

Overview1. What do we know about BB’s model of human development?

2. What has occurred between BB’s era and now?

3. What theories and revised BB models might be useful?

4. How might this frame active citizenship in sustainability?

1. What do we know about BB’s model of human development?

BB’s ecological model of human development (1979)

2. What has occurred between BB’s era and now?

Decade Some key developments

1970’s • Era of significant human global social change and activism, growth of post-industrial economies and Woodstock!

• Vygotsky (1978) and shifts from developmentalism to socio-cultural theory

• Adaptation of ‘scientific ecology terms’ to ‘human social systems’

• BB’s Ecological Model of Human Development (1979)• BB Contemporaries: Bateson (systems theorist), Lovelock (Gaia

hypothesis)• First intergovernmental meetings to address environmental

issues (UNESCO/UNEP, 1977)

Cont’Decade Some key developments

1980’s • The Brundtland Report: Our Common Future (WCED, 1987): sustainability recognised internationally

• United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (UNICEF, 1989)

1990’s • Establishment Australian EC environmental networks • Revised images of children as agentic (James, Jenks & Prout, 1998)

2000’s • Theories of new sociology (Corsaro, 2005)• Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009)• Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)• Era of increasing climate disruption and the Anthropocene (Steffen et

al., 2007)• Living sustainably: National action plan (DEWHA, 2009)• Emergence of nature play globally (Louv, 2005)

Cont’

Decade Some key developments

2010’s • Nature play programs established in Australia • Post-humanism and new materialism theories emerge in early

childhood education• Critical theory from 1970’s informing McLaren’s ‘critical ecopedagogy’

(2015)• UNESCO four dimensions of sustainable development (2010)• UNESCO Global Action Plan (2014)• UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (2015)• Children and climate change (Currie & Deschenes, 2016)• WHO Atlas on children’s health and environment (WHO, 2017)• 2 degrees C as global mean temperature threshold (IPCC, 2018)

2020’s • Much has changed over 5 decades, it’s time for rethinking BB…

Questions and concernsWhere is the physical or natural environment in his

model that directly and indirectly impacts human and non-human beings, development and life courses?

It is untenable to continue to prioritise humans and ignore all other species and physical elements in the 21st century amid concerns about intergenerational equity and multi-dimensional global sustainability.

(Davis & Elliott, 2019, p.25)

3. What theories and revised BB models might be useful?

Recognising his legacy and ongoing model reiterations

“the possibilities of ecologies as yet untried . . . hold a potential for human natures yet unseen, perhaps possessed of a wiser blend of power and compassion than has thus

far been manifested” (1979, p. xiii).

‘the most telling criterion for evaluating the health of a society is “the concern of one generation for the next”

(p.1).’ (Bronfenbrenner, p. xii cited in Pence, 1988).

A playful process….

Investigating theories:

•Systems theory

•Critical theory

•New sociology of childhood

•Post-humanism

•New materialism….

Linking to UNESCO (2010) dimensions of sustainability

A playful process….

Playing in muddy water with models and theories, but let’s do the obvious thing first!

New model 1 – synthesis with UNESCO (2010) model

New model 2 – Bronfenbrenner model encircled with a biosystem

New model 3 – Children as active citizens in local biosystems

Testing the water with practitionersAcknowledgement and much thanks to:

Vignette 1: Bubup Wilam Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, Victoria Lisa G. Thorpe, Gunditjmara, Gunnai woman CEO and Angie Zerella, Education and Training Manager

Vignette 2: Bunyaville Environmental Education Centre, Queensland Noeleen Rowntree, Principal

Vignette 3: Quirindi Preschool Kindergarten, New South Wales Director Alison Thompson

Practitioners were offered a chapter abstract, and invited to respond to questions around nature play, sustainability and

pedagogical practices in light of rethinking BB.

4. How might this inform active citizenship in sustainability?

Three practitioner vignettes were analysed according to the theoretical frames leading to themes around….

•Language

•The individual child

•Children’s agency

•Systems

•Contexts and relationships

•Time dimensions

For example, contexts and relationships…

BW-when relationships are formed with land, life is given to the two parties and the interactions are respectful and considerate

BEEC-relationships matter, both to others and the Earth and full immersion provides the experiences and helps connect individuals to the natural world

QP-educators are in a strong position to foster relationships with children, families and people of our community, urban, commercial and natural worlds

Theoretical frames

Post humanism

New materialism

Key ideas:

Encompass more-than-human relationships

Ethical relationships

Practice implications:

•Examining what defines ethical relationships with the human and more-than-human world with children through pedagogical practices for sustainability

•Inviting immersion in natural contexts to facilitate relationships

For example, time dimensions…

BW–this incorporates ways of the

past, present, and future and respects

those that have walked this land before

them, those that walk with them now,

and those that will walk this land in the

Future

BEEC–meanwhile the forest sits and

waits, going nowhere…

Theoretical frames

Post humanism

Systems theory

Key ideas:

More-than-human life histories,

global time frames

Dynamics of system change over timePractice implications:

•Discussing equity issues now and for

future generations both human and

nonhuman

•Acknowledging both human and

nonhuman change over time

What does this mean in practice?

More than worm farms and gardens rethinking Bronfenbrenner offers a framework for promoting children as active citizens for sustainability….

Thanks to the early childhood centres for sharing their images and stories to support this presentation.

In our early childhood education contexts and beyond…

For sustainable futures for all species a re-thinking of

Bronfenbrenner’s model is critical

ReferencesBronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1988). Foreword. In A. Pence, Ecological research with children and families from concepts to methodology (pp. ix-xix). New York: Teachers College Press.

Corsaro, W. A. (2005). The sociology of childhood (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Elliott, S. & Davis, J. (2018). Challenging taken-for-granted ideas in early childhood education: A critique of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory in the age of post-humanism (online). In A. Cutter-Mackenzie et al. (eds.), Research Handbook on Childhoodnature, London: Springer International Handbooks of Education.

Currie, J. & Deschenes, O. (2016). Children and climate change: Introducing the issue. The Future of Children, 26(1), 3-9.

James, A., Jenks, C., & Prout, J. (1998). Theorising childhood. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

McLaren, P. (2015). Pedagogy of Insurrection: From Resurrection to Revolution. Peter Lang: New York.

ReferencesSteffen, W., Crutzen, P. J. & McNeill, J. R. (2007). The Anthropocene: Are humans now overwhelming the great forces of nature? Ambio ol. 36(8), 614-621.

UNESCO (2010). Four Dimensions of Sustainable Development. Retrieved from www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_a/popups/mod04t01s03.html.

UNESCO/UNEP (1977). Intergovernmental conference on environmental education: Tbilisi (USSR), 14-26 October 1977. Final Report. Paris: UNESCO.

UNICEF. (1989). United Nations convention on the rights of the child. Retrieved from http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm.

Vygotsky, L. (1978). The role of play in development (pp. 92–104). In Mind in society. (M. Cole, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

World Commission on Environment & Development (WCED) (1987). The Brundtland report: Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Thanks to the early childhood centres for sharing their images and stories to support this presentation.