Community Service Essay: Impact of Family Relationships & Cultural Context on Human Development

Question

Task: Students are required to write a community service essay presenting a reflection on their lived experience, with application of human development theories to their family and cultural context.

Reflect on your own family and cultural context while you were a child (4-12 years). Apply your understanding of the Bowlby-Ainsworth Attachment Theory and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory to your relationships during your childhood.

Answer

COMMUNITY SERVICE
I would like to mention herein community service essaythat in my childhood, I was surrounded by family members who were very involved with my older brother and me. While they watched over us as we played in the backyard or kept an eye on us as we ran errands, our parents made sure that we had a safe and stable home. As we grew older, we were given the opportunity to make our own decisions and express our opinions. If we did end up making a bad decision or expressing an opinion that was against the family's culture (i.e.: Every Sunday morning after mass, my mother would wake us up for breakfast; however, since I started sleeping in on Sundays during middle school, I would invariably wake up to the sound of my mother's voice telling me to get out of bed), we were given the opportunity to learn from our mistakes.

The relationships that I had with my family and friends during my childhood fostered a sense of resilience within me; I was able to overcome any obstacle that I encountered because of the love that was given to me. The relationships that I had with my family helped me become who I am today. Risk - Because my parents made sure that we were safe while we were at home, there was little risk involved in the decisions that they made for us. Opportunity - My parents allowed us to make our own decisions, giving us the opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Resilience - I was able to overcome any obstacle that I encountered because of the love that was given to me by my family and friends. In conclusion, the relationships that I had with my family and friends during my childhood fostered a sense of resilience within me, which helped me overcome any obstacle that I encountered. The love and support that I received from those close to me helped me become who I am today.

During my childhood, I was influenced by the relationships within my family and the cultural context in which I lived. The Bowlby-Ainsworth Attachment Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory provide a framework for understanding how these relationships affected my development. The Bowlby-Ainsworth Attachment Theory describes the importance of early caregiver relationships in the development of security and exploration. The theory suggests that if infants are exposed to emotionally available caregivers who provide consistent care for several years, they will begin to develop a sense of trust and other cognitive skills; this will also allow them to form secure attachments with primary caregivers. Although this particular theory is focused on infants, it can be applied to all stages of development.

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory describes the interconnectedness of individuals and their environments. This theory takes into account the five ecological systems: microsystem, mesosystem, ecosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem. Each system is related to the others and has an impact on development.
In this essay, I will discuss the impact of my family relationships and cultural context on my development. I will use the Bowlby-Ainsworth Attachment Theory and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory as frameworks for understanding how these relationships affected me. I will also discuss the concept of risk, opportunity and resilience and how they were affected by my family relationships and cultural context.

My Family:
I was born into a traditional Chinese family. My parents had high expectations for me and they were very strict with me. I was not allowed to have a lot of friends and/or attend birthday parties because my mom believed that I would not be able to handle the social environment.
I lived with both parents throughout my childhood. My father was a very quiet man who worked long hours as an engineer in the oil industry, and he only came home on weekends. He preferred to spend his time alone or with us rather than with friends. He was always very busy and he spent most of his time working or playing computer games in his spare time.
On the other hand, my mother was very involved in the community and she worked as a social worker before she became a full-time mom when I started grade one (age 6). She volunteered for many organizations and groups in the community that were related to youth and children, such as Girl Guides. In addition, she was also a very active member of the Chinese community in Calgary. She held several positions in different committees and organizations. My father was from Hong Kong and he received his PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His first job was in the oil industry, but after he completed his PhD, he started teaching at a university in Hong Kong. He stayed there for two years before moving to Canada because of political instability. On the other hand, my mother moved from China to Toronto when she was 15 years old because her father received a job offer as a professor at the University of Toronto. After she graduated from high school, she moved to Calgary to be closer to her extended family.

I was the oldest of three children and I had a younger brother and sister. My siblings are two years and four years younger than me, respectively. My brother is currently a civil engineer and my sister is a full-time mom in Calgary.
My father's family was very traditional. They were from Hong Kong and they all lived in a small community near Chinatown in downtown Toronto until my grandparents passed away. In this community, most of the adults were involved with the import/export industry or they worked in Chinatown as shopkeepers. My grandfather was a businessman and my grandmother was a homemaker. My mother's family was also traditional. However, they were not as close-knit as my father's family. My maternal grandparents lived in Shanghai and my maternal uncle lived in the United States. My maternal grandfather passed away when my mom was six years old and my maternal grandmother passed away when I was in grade one (age 6), so we did not have a close relationship with them. My parents got married in China and immigrated to Canada shortly after they got married because my father received a job offer from the University of Calgary in the late seventies when he completed his PhD at Illinois. They settled down in Calgary and started their family.

Context:
At the time, Calgary and Hong Kong were very different places. For example, there was a large Chinatown in downtown Toronto where most of my paternal grandparents' friends and acquaintances lived. This community had its own culture and traditions that set it apart from mainstream western society (e.g., Chinese New Year, Chinese schools). On the other hand, Calgary had few immigrants from Hong Kong at that time. Chinatown was located near the U of C campus and it only consisted of a handful shops. It was very different than Toronto's Chinatown because it was very small and quiet - there were only several restaurants and grocery stores.

The cultural context of my childhood was very different from what it is today. For example, there are now many more immigrants from Hong Kong living in Calgary. In addition, the city has grown exponentially and there is now a large downtown core with many restaurants and shops that reflect different cultures (e.g., Indian, Lebanese, and Japanese).

Attachment Theory: Attachment theory is a psychological theory that attempts to explain the dynamics of human relationships. In particular, it focuses on the bonds between infants and their caregivers. The theory was first developed by John Bowlby, who believed that the early attachments an infant forms with his or her caregivers play a crucial role in his or her later development.

My parents were very supportive and they provided a stable home environment for my brother, sister and me. They were always there for us when we needed them and they were never too busy to listen to us. My parents also had a strong relationship with each other and they always communicated openly with each other.I think this helped to create a sense of security within our family.They helped me and my sister in a friendly way providing decisions for college and by the time I reached the age of applying for colleges, my parents helped me in all aspects from how to write a good statement of purpose to getting me into college. They never forced their opinion but they always asked about our ideas and gave us choices so that we could make up our own minds. Based on Bowlby's attachment theory, Bowlby's theory is based on the idea that humans are biologically programmed to form attachments with others. Bowlby's theory also focuses on the importance of responsiveness to a child's needs in social-emotional development. My relation with my parents. My mother is very caring and kind. She never yells at me or not speak to me harshly, even when i make mistakes. For instance, when I do poorly on a test, she doesn't yell at me for it but simply offers help with the problems I got wrong, so that next time I can do better. it is evident that my parents provided a secure base for me and my siblings. We always felt safe and we knew that we could rely on them when we needed support. In addition, my parents had a strong relationship with each other which helped us feel secure and loved. The bond we share shows

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory: Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory helps to explain how my family's cultural context influenced my development. According to Bronfenbrenner, the environment consists of five nested systems: microsystem, mesosystem, ecosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem. The microsystem is the most proximal and consists of close relationships with parents and other family members. The mesosystem is the next level and it consists of in-home interactions which shaped my perceptions, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs (e.g., eating habits).

The ecosystem was the next level that consisted of the larger social community outside of our home such as schools, churches, playgrounds, etc. The macrosystem is the next level that consists of prevailing cultural values which shape our norms and expectations for how children are expected to behave (e.g., respecting elders). Furthermore, Bronfenbrenner's theory explains how my family's world-view influenced my development because it consisted of their perceptions about life (e.g., work ethic, goal-setting).

My parents wanted me to gain more independence when I reached grade four (age 9) so they enrolled me in the after-school program at my elementary school. I was responsible for hanging out with my friends and doing homework during this time.

I started dating in grade five (age 10) and most of my boyfriends were Caucasian. I had nothing against Asians but it was just easier for me to meet girls in the public school system where there were so many more students. I learned through my parents that success in life means working hard and having a stable job. They worked very hard when they came to Canada to provide us with a better life, and they always encouraged me to study hard in school so that I would have more opportunities than they did.

I am proud of my cultural background because it made me who I am today. For example, I learned the value of hard work from my parents which helped shape my career path. Also, their world-view shaped my views about life and I am more open-minded than other people from my cultural context.

Based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, it is evident that my family's cultural context influenced my development. My parents' values and beliefs shaped my perceptions, attitudes and behaviours. In addition, the larger social community (outside of the home) influenced my development. For example, I was able to meet different people and be exposed to other cultures while at school. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory helps to explain how my family's cultural context influenced my development. According to Bronfenbrenner, the environment consists of five nested systems: microsystem, mesosystem, ecosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem. The microsystem is the most proximal and consists of close relationships with parents and other family members. The mesosystem is the next level and it consists of in-home interactions which shaped my perceptions, attitudes, behaviours and beliefs (e.g., eating habits).

The ecosystem was the next level that consisted of the larger social community outside of our home such as schools, churches, playgrounds, etc. The macrosystem is the next level that consists of prevailing cultural values which shape our norms and expectations for how children are expected to behave (e.g., respecting elders). Furthermore, Bronfenbrenner's theory explains how my family's world-view influenced my development because it consisted of their perceptions about life (e.g., work ethic, goal-setting).

The concept of risk refers to the likelihood something may happen to an individual. For instance, substance abuse during adolescence is associated with harmful consequences such as dropping out of school and a lack of a stable career. On the contrary, opportunity refers to chances in life while resilience is being able to cope with challenges and bounce back from adversity.

In my developmental years, I was resilient because I coped well with the divorce of my parents and many other family problems that occurred. In addition, I was not at risk for many things because my parents kept me away from bad influences.

From the perspective of risk, it is evident that I was not at risk for many things because my parents kept me away from bad influences (e.g., friends' homes, parties). Furthermore, they encouraged me to do extra-curricular activities which distracted me during difficult times. For example, when my parents were going through a divorce I joined the school band and soccer team to take my mind away from this difficult time in our lives.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, many things influenced my development during childhood (age 4 - 12 years). While reflecting on these relationships during this time, it is apparent that I had a strong bond with my parents which helped shape the person I am today. Furthermore, they were good role models for me because they worked hard to provide us with everything we needed while being an example of good character traits (e.g., strong work ethic, compassion).

Their cultural values shaped my beliefs about life and how one should be treated by others. My relationships with family members (especially parents) and the larger social community outside of the home were influential in my development. Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory provided a useful lens to understand how my family's cultural context shaped my development. Finally, I was resilient because I coped well with many challenges that arose during my developmental years. In sum, the Bowlby-Ainsworth attachment theory, Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory and resilience are useful frameworks to understand how relationships influence child development.

References
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