Name of Concept
Exosystem in Family Systems Theory
Introduction
The exosystem is one of four primary levels of the environment, or ecosystem, which are described in the bioecological theory of human development (Bronfenbrenner 1986, 1977). Understanding the different levels of the ecosystem, and how they can impact the development and experiences of individuals, can help therapists to better understand underlying causes to presenting problems, thus enabling a more effecting and change-promoting therapeutic process.
Theoretical Context for the Concept
Family systems theory assumes that families operate as a system which cannot be fully understood by looking at one individual without also including all of the other individuals which comprise the system, or family (Cox and Paley 1997). The way in which different aspects of families and the environment can influence the development and experiences of the individual can be understood through the bioecological systems theory (Bronfenbrenner 1977...
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References
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32, 513–531.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1986). Ecology of the family as context for human development. Research perspectives. Developmental Psychology, 22, 723–742.
Cox, M. J., & Paley, B. (1997). Families as systems. Annual Review of Psychology, 48, 243–267.
Lerner, R. M. (2002). Concepts and theories of human development (3rd ed.). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
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Smith, A.D., Quirk, K. (2019). Exosystem in Family Systems Theory. In: Lebow, J.L., Chambers, A.L., Breunlin, D.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_266
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_266
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