Assignment Summary:
The Eco-Mapping project involves conducting an interview with one caregiver in a family that includes one or more children to increase students’ understanding of family-centered strategies, family support, and family-professional collaboration. As part of the assignment, students will conduct an interview, create an eco-map, and write a 2–3-page report reflecting on their interview and the eco-mapping process for practice.
Goals:
1. To reflect upon the importance of family-centered strategies and family-professional collaboration.
2. To apply the eco-mapping process to a real-life scenario.
3. To apply Bioecological Systems Theory to a real-life scenario.
Format:
Your report should be 2-3 pages (apart from the title, reference, and eco-map pages), double-spaced, and consistent with APA format (do not include an abstract). Refrain from using quotations. In absence of an APA style manual, the following site is a great resource for formatting your paper in APA (7th edition) style: Purdue OWL Site – APA Format
Directions:
Individually, complete the steps below.
STEP 1: Interview
1. Identify a parent/caregiver in a family that includes a child aged 1-12 (get approval if the child’s age falls outside this range). If the parent has more than one child, select one to be the focus of your ecomap (though, of course, you can include both in the eco-map).
2. Contact the parent/caregiver to ask for their permission to participate in an interview (30-45
minutes) about their family, specifical information about their child, family supports, and social
supports.
3. Based on your reading of McCormick et al. (2008), conduct an eco-mapping interview with the parent/caregiver. [This should be completed after reading]
STEP 2: Eco-Map
1. Based on the field notes you collect during your interview (which may be a rough draft of your
eco-map), create an eco-map.
2. The eco-map should include the following elements:
• People, organizations, and agencies that are part of the family’s life (minimum 12 circles).
Under each you should have:
i. R: The Relationship
ii. S: The type of Support
iii. F: The Frequency of support
• Relationship lines – identify the strength and direction of each relationship discussed
• In your final draft (the one you hand in), use pseudonyms or initials (not actual names) to
protect the privacy of the family.
STEP 3: Report
Write a 2-3-page report (typed, double-spaced, APA format) including the following elements:
1. Brief introduction that denotes the scope of the report. (suggested 1 short paragraph)
2. Reflect on eco-map by answering the following questions: (suggested 2-3 paragraphs)
• What significant/important resources or supports are available to the child/family?
• What resources or supports are nonexistent or in short supply? Would you recommend any services/resources for this child/family? Why or why not?
• Based on your experience with this assignment, explain how the eco-mapping process
would enhance your practice (or, if you’re not a CHAD major, the practice of someone in
the field of child development). Explain 1-2 challenges you (or a professional in the field)
might face in using this process.
3. Apply Bronfenbrenner’s Theory to your eco-mapping process. (suggested 2-3 paragraphs)
• Describe each level of the ecological systems in Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Systems framework (mico-, meso-, exo-, macro-, and chronosystems) by defining/explaining each system. Please paraphrase when coming up with a definition for each level and cite your
source (which may be your textbook, lecture slides, or an outside source) in APA format.
• Include examples from your interview at each level of the ecological systems (2-3 mico-, 2-3 meso-, 1-2 exo-, 1-2 macro-, and 1-2 chronosystems). For example, if the parent identifies the child’s coach as someone whom the child interacts with on a regular basis and who directly influences the child, you could include the coach as an example in your discussion of the microsystem.
4. Brief conclusion. (suggested 1-2 sentences)
5. Attach your eco-map
