Bronfenbrenner.....?

Nevermind that (loads and loads of) people have not heard of Bronfenbrenner's Social Ecology Model , or the fact that his name is a mouthful! That's not important anyway. But it's important (that I know), coz I have a bloody assignment due next week.

Bronfenbrenner's work showed how the child could be affected (in their microsystem), by the macrosystem, (and vice versa) and all the different layers between (mesosystem, exosystem).

Today, in groups of four, my class did a case studies on the Malaysian Orang Asli who were displaced, and relocated to an urbanised area, to live in these one storey bungalow houses. The MacroSystem (whereby the need for proper documentation of birth certificate and MyKad is required for children to be able to enter school and look for jobs) is one of the ways that affect not only the poor, but the indigenous who have been relocated. Many of these people do not realise the importance of having to register their own children's birth, not to mention are so hard core poor, that they can't afford to even take the bus to town or go register their children.

As such, without the proper documentation and knowledge, the MacroSystem (The system that is set out by the govt) works against these people, leading them to be caught up in a vicious circle, and these people, without assistance, may continue to live very poor lives, and down many many more generations to come.

For the indigeneous, they are however, not socialised in the ways of the urbanised life, (being nomadic to begin with, take for example, the Penans of Sarawak), and being placed in an urbanised area (forced more likely), is truly a cultural shock for them. These people are not farmers, but they go around gathering shoots and food, and have not been taught the importance of using money. Where previously they were free to move, now they are expected to search for their own money.

Their children, are now expected to go to school. The mesosystem, in terms of socialisation, the children (the hardcore ones that is), are ostracised by others because they are so poor, that they refuse to go to school. Although these children understand the importance of education, yet the social part of it is one that could break or make these children in willingness to attend school.

Without the education, the children too end up in that vicious cycle of poverty, where they are unable to find high paying jobs, and this may continue down the generations...

[will write more later...]

Related Links:
Paquette & Ryan papers.
PSI Cafe
Families.com

On an unrelated note, I was watching Legal Entanglement (currently on XHE- Channel 34) in which, the main character, Tracy, was published in the newspaper as having had an affair (as a mistress) to this big honcho of a lawyer when she was still at university. The lawyer, Tracy, was devastated (seeing the news!).

The first thing that came to my mind, is that, this mindset probably only prevails in Asian society. If it were published in the UK, or the States, most people would probably NOT bat an eyelid......*man*. If people are living in together these days, what difference does being a mistress makes? (in fact, in olden days, mistresses had "unspoken" power)......*rolls eyes*.

I am not being cynical, but that is a fact. (I think the chinese series is making an exaggeration out of that particular episode). This is cross-cultural differences for you ler....