Final answer:
Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory identifies the complex layers of environment and their effects on an individual's development, where each layer - microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem - influences the person in different ways.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory is a framework for understanding how a person's environment and the different levels of influence within it can affect their development. This theory illustrates that a person's development is the result of the interplay between various systems. Starting from the most intimate level, the microsystem includes the immediate environment such as family and school.
The next level, the mesosystem, encompasses the interaction between the elements of the microsystem, like parents communicating with teachers. Beyond this is the exosystem, which includes larger social systems that do not contain the individual but still affect them, such as a parent's workplace.
The macrosystem is the broadest level, consisting of cultural and societal norms. Finally, the chronosystem encompasses the dimension of time, reflecting how these systems and interactions change throughout a person's life. For example, in a family where a mother attends a community college (microsystem), which interacts with her availability to her child (mesosystem).
Decisions made by the mother's employer regarding work schedules (exosystem) impact the family's routine, and the prevalent educational policies in the society (macrosystem) may affect the mother's access to educational programs. The chronosystem would include any changes in these interactions over time, for example, if the mother graduates and secures better employment.