Assessment Task One Ecological Map Child: Bill

1. Assessment Task One Ecological Map Child: Bill By: Ellen Hall

2. Description:Bill is a ten year old male, who is the eldest of three. Two younger sisters aged four and two. He parents are recently divorced , leaving him with a single mother and with little to no contact with his father. Due to this and his mother works commitments Bill and his sisters spend a significant amount of time at his grandparents house. It is evident that Bill and his Grandfather have a particular close relationship. Bill and his family live in a middle income area ( socio-economic status) in Sydney, Australia. At home Bill helps his mum take care of his two younger sisters. From reading to them and playing games with them to feeding them. When Bill gets free time at home he practises football kicking outside, watches television or invites friends over. Bill participates in only one sport, being football. Here he enjoys socialising with the other boys in the team. Due to having a sole parent and younger sisters it is evident that Bill often gets lifts to and from training during the week and occasionally on the weekend to games. Bill is a healthy young boy who is fit and appears to be a very social individual. However it is evident that the lack of a male role model within the immediate family has effected Bill emotionally. This is particularly the case on the weekend at Football where he w\views his friends and their fathers interacting. Bill often becomes awkward in circumstances like this as he is unsure of how to behave. It has been detected gradually over the past two years that Bill is a special needs student. As he finds difficulty in areas of literacy he has weekly contact with a special needs teacher. Here he receives one- on –one support and guidance in further understanding specific areas within literacy.

3. Bronfenbrenner Model: Chronosystem This model looks at a Child’s (Bill) development within the various systems of relationships that form his or her environment. It defines complex “layers” of environments and context which intercalate with each other and ultimately influence the child’s development in multiple ways (i.e. social, political, cultural etc) (Bowes ,J &Grace,R.2009)

4. Microsystem This layer is the closets to the Child as it consists of a face-to –face setting where by the child has direct contact and/or is directly involved . This system involves: • Internal: • Biology: • physical characteristic • Genetics • Body • Cognitive system • social/ emotional system • Social skills • External: • Parents • Sports • Family • Special education teacher Bill: Parents: Bill ‘s parents are recently divorced. His mother takes care of him and his two sisters. Bill has little to no contact with his father. Sports: Due to final restrictions ( sole parent) bill only plays one sport, Football. Family: In Bill’s family there is his mother, his two sisters and himself. Bill is the eldest of the three siblings. Special education teacher: Bill is a special needs student resulting in direct contact with a special needs teacher. Bill is intrapersonal individual, he is of average height and weight for a child of his age and has no previous family history of terminal illnesses.

5. Mesosystem This refers to the interrelation between the structures and settings in which the child (Bill) actively participates in (within the Microsystem). • In Bill’s circumstance it is the interrelation between : • After school care and his mother • Football club to school to his mother • Special needs teacher to regular teacher to Bill’s mother

6. Exosystem: This layer defines the largest social system in which the child does not function directly. It is the links between two or more settings. It is evident that the child is not directly involved, however, nevertheless the child does have positive and negative impacts emplaced on them( Bowes, J & Grace, R. 2009). • Work commitments of parent/s • Community • Extended Family • Friends of family • Mass media • Special welfare services • Legal services • Neighbours • Type of job parent has Bill: Work: As Bill’s mother is a sole parent and in order to earn adequate income she works irregular hours therefore resulting in Bill being negatively impacted as he is unable to spend as much quality time with his mother.

7. Macrosystem This system refers to the broader social and cultural contexts which encompasses all cultural values, customs and laws . • Society • Culture • Media • Governments • Laws • Support systems Bill: Bill’s family is effected by and adds to the social trend in the increase in divorced rates. Bill is also effect by the social and cultural stigma that is associated with children with special learning needs.

8. Chronosystem This system encompasses the dimension of time and the patterning of environmental events and transitions over the life course ( Paquette, D. 2009) Chronosystem • Internal: • Physical changes that occur with the aging of a child. • External: • Death • Divorce • Moving suburbs/ schools • Winning money • Environmental disasters Bill: Bill has recently experienced his parents going through a divorce. This event will ultimately impact on Bills emotional and psychological maturity and growth. As through experiencing such an event Bill will have to become the male figure head in his family and has to individually develop without the guidance of a male figure.

9. ONE-PARENT FAMILIES AS A PROPORTION OF ALL FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN UNDER 15 YEARS (a) (b) It is evident through this graph from the Australian Bureau of statistics that Bill’s family is in common with the rest of the Australian population. Being that as Bill’s parents have divorced recently it co insides with the general populations trend of increasing divorce rates in Australian recently. However it is evident through this graph that although there is an increase in divorce rates, Bill’s family can be considered going against the general trend as there is only a 22% rate of divorces in Australian which is ultimately not the majority. Source: (Australian Bureau of statistics, 2007)

10. LONE MOTHERS AS A PROPORTION OF ALL MOTHERS OF CHILDREN UNDER 15 YEARS — 2006 As Bill is ten years old and is the oldest of two sisters , its is evident from these statistics from the Australian bureau of statistics that Bills mother (falls into the 25-34) although she is not in one of the most popular groups ,its is evident that she is similar to the rest of the general Australian population. Source: (Australian Bureau of statistics, 2007)

11. PARENTS WITH CHILDREN UNDER 15 YEARS: SELECTED INDICATORS OF FINANCIAL STRESS(a) — 2003-04 As demonstrated in the statistics from the Australian bureau of statistics Bill’s family is very common to the general Australian population being that families with sole parents are struggling to provide the basic essentials. There for like Bill’s family , the children may not be able to participate in various sporting activities therefore restricting there social network. Source: (Australian Bureau of statistics, 2007)

12. Reference List • Bowes, J,& Grace, R. (2009). Children Families & communities (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, Australia. • Paquette, D. (.n.d.). Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems theory, March 18, 2009, from http://pt3.nl.edu/paquetteryanwebquest.pdf • Statistics on single parents and children. (n.d.). March 16, 2009, from http://www.abs.gov.au/