Ecological Systems Perspective

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Pages: 7

This section is guided by using the framework of the Ecological Systems Perspective to discuss how a child's biological makeup and surrounding environment has an effect on a their cognitive development. An African American school aged boy whose literacy performance is lower than their white counterpart is attributed by the effects of socioeconomic status. According to Dotterer, (2012); McKinsey & Company, (2009), acknowledged that "low income and ethnic minority children perform at levels below those of children from higher income families and European American children" (p.657). More specifically, the subsequent sections explore existing literature on the effects of parental involvement, socioeconomic status, and environmental factors on a …show more content…
Parents are considered the primary source of education before a child enters school. When looking at the ecological systems perspective, the micro systems level shows that a child has direct social interaction with people in this system. This level determines how a child interacts with family, friends, classmates, teachers, and neighbors. To understand the disproportion of African American boys' literacy in schools; literature from other studies show why this is a problem among this group. According to Dotterer, (2012), "low-income mothers compared to higher income mothers were less responsive and interactive with their children", (p.658). The reasoning behind this is parental education and less finances; which can leave a positive or negative impact on a child's cognitive …show more content…
Children in low SES tend to lack recreation centers, libraries, and having access to other educational resources. According to Pebley and Sastry, (2010), “local funding of public schools means that school quality is typically associated with neighborhood economic status”, (p. 780). Without proper resources and financial assistance from city and state governments, children are left to suffer academically because of their SES. In low SES neighborhoods, which is a part of a child’s microsystem has a direct effect on a child cognitive development. In other literature, Hines and Holcomb-McCoy, (2013), suggest that “church attendance in the African American community is positively correlated with increased academic achievement”, (p. 91). In low SES, African American males benefited going to church and attending a religious school. Going back in history, African Americans found comfort when facing adversity in America. Having a religious belief or relationship with a deity attributed to positive academic success among African American