Analysis should include

• the political system (e.g., laws and regulations, regulations, the educational system, protective services, social assistance)
• the economic system (e.g., employment availability, sufficient wages, the availability of goods and services)
• the sociocultural system (e.g., beliefs, values, religiosity, traditions, norms)
• technological and electronic resources.

Teacher Resource:

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, Simply Psychology

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

• What factors in the economic system affect parents and children? What are ways that parents and children affect the economic system?
• What happens to parents and children when jobs are lost, when interest rates rise and fall, when scandal erodes investor confidence, when new jobs are created, or when employers provide health care benefits?
• What happens to the economic system when parents and children save or spend money, boycott products, buy foreign/domestic goods, or consume/do not consume goods and services?

Communication

• How does the sociocultural system affect parents and children? How can parents and children affect the society/culture in which they live?
• What are the effects of a society that looks with suspicion on parents and children of different ethnic or cultural backgrounds?
• What are some ways that parents and children with different ethnic backgrounds enrich culture?

Leadership

• What are some government actions that affect parents and children? What are some family actions that affect political systems?
• What would happen to parents and children if the government did not provide education, help support families in financial need, pass laws, charge taxes, operate courts, build roads, or establish regulations?
• What would happen to the political system if citizens did not vote, run for office, serve on committees and boards, or lobby for legislation?

Management

• How does technology affect parents and children? How can parents and children take advantage of or affect the technological system?
• How can parents and children use technology to reduce drudgery, gather information, save time, and keep track of information?
• What factors influence the decisions of families concerning the use of technology?
• What influence do television, movies, and other media have on a family's lifestyle?