Relationships and me, what is important?
Lillie Taylor, Youth Leads
Read this article, written by Lillie Taylor from Youth Leads, which discusses the work of Urie Bronfenbrenner , a Russian-born American psychologist who created a theory about how relationships are affected- from family to friends, school environment and romantically.
As soon as you’re born, your relationships affect how you grow and develop. If there was an angry person in your childhood, there is a higher chance of an angry person in your household, whether that’s you or your partner.
Bronfenbrenner’s theory called ‘The Ecological Systems Theory’ is a well known piece of work that breaks down these external factors. The theory divides a person’s environment into five different systems: the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem, and the chronosystem. The microsystem such as family and school is the most infuential level in the development of the child. As we grow older, every relationship has different importance in your life and role in shaping how you are as a person.
Family
If someone grows up in a negative environment at home and experiences negative interactions with their parents this can affect a child’s ability
to communicate with people and regulate their emotions because they didn’t have that when they were younger.
Friendships
Friends can define a person because you are who you surround yourself around, this means people connect and fall out. If a friendship is toxic or abuse then this can have an impact on how we socialise in general.
Intimate Relationships
Intimate partners can affect someone greatly. If your relationship with your partner is toxic then someone may find it difficult to trust others and be manipulated into thinking they are the only person important to you. This can lead to lack of self worth and feeling less confident in yourself.
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