Abstract
The ecological theoretical perspective most often is utilized to highlight various levels of environmental context (microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems, and macrosystems) within which families with adolescents are situated. Employed more comprehensively, this approach also can draw attention to the individual, to interactional processes among individuals, and to the impact of time. In the present chapter, ecological theory is covered in terms of its use in highlighting the interconnected nature of families with adolescents and other social contexts. While having been deemed to be one of the dominant theories utilized within this area of inquiry, the debate about its importance and usefulness is also covered, including questions about its inability to provide both conceptual and empirical assistance in describing the inner workings of families with adolescents.
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Gavazzi, S.M. (2011). Ecological Theory. In: Families with Adolescents. Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8246-9_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8246-9_5
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