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His Development

In Bronfenbrenner's theory there are 5 systems. Arthur struggled with the microsystem which reflects in the experiences he had growing up as a child. According to Pomerantz, “We are born with certain personality characteristics (nature), but those characteristics are affected by powerful experiences (nurture)” (Pomerantz, 808). This reigns true in the case of Joker as well. He was developed due to the flaws in the “nurturing of Arthur Fleck”. He was adopted by Penny Fleck, who raised him in an abusive home. He wasn’t properly cared for and wasn’t placed in an environment that was supportive of his social, cognitive and emotional development. According to the film, Penny not only denied Arthur but allowed his abuse at the hands of her boyfriend. This led to an incident where Arthur was left with a major brain injury that contributed to his mental condition. His adoptive mother growing up was his immediate environment, and what she taught him was that he was a happy boy meant to be alone. The abuse and trauma resulted in his lack of ability to attach to others portraying traits of being a narcissist/ sociopath. This led to Arthur being used to being alone, contributing to his severe depression depicted in the film. That along with the mistreatment he receives from society is what made him resort to this side of himself, Joker, that gives society that same negative energy back.  Urie B. would agree that Arthur displays the theory of the 5 systems. The complex (abusive/ mentally manipulative) relationship with his mother impacted the way Arthur thinks and acts. “Early on as a young child,  he clearly sided with his aggressor (his mother), while she neglected him and let others abuse him. Instead of being angry, he found it more adaptive to align with her, nurture her, and be her caretaker” (Puder, p. 17). Urie would assess that the scene where Arthur finds out the truth about his mother’s lies and his childhood, clearly gives that turning point where his mind shifted the behaviors and thinking he was taught. This is where his actions start to be irrational and he drops this expectation of acting as if nothing was wrong with the way society treats each other. 

Effectiveness or validity of Bronfenbrenner’s theory

This theory is effective in capturing the complex interplay between an individual and their environment. For a character like Arthur Fleck in the film. His development is shaped by immediate family dynamics, social interactions, and the larger societal context of Gotham City in the 1900s. His microsystem that is characterized by an abusive mother and a lack of supportive relationships greatly impacts his mental health/ sense of self. The exosystem, including societal neglect and poverty, contributes to his feelings of isolation as well as emptiness. Bronfenbrenner’s theory is a good fit of assessing Arthur’s psycho-development because it dissects these different systems and have essentially overlapped in his life leading to the violent, chaotic interactions he has with his immediate and external environment. His interactions within the microsystem lead to the shaping of his behavior in the macrosystem then to breaking himself down into Joker. Where the theory lacks is in incorporating how Arthur influences himself with his internal conflicts and desires.His identity wasn’t only shaped by his interactions with other systems. It was also shaped by his economic position, the location (Gotham City). A more interconnected theory would be better to assess his complex character as Arthur and as Joker.

Citation Page

Brodie, K. (2024, July 25). Urie Bronfenbrenner: Ecological Systems Theory and the BIOECOLOGICAL model. Early Years TV. https://www.earlyyears.tv/urie-bronfenbrenner-ecological-systems-theory-bioecological-model/ By, Guy-Evans, O., on, U., & 17, J. (2024, January 17). Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/bronfenbrenner.html Puder, D. (2023, May 15). Episode 067: Joker: An in depth character analysis. Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast. https://www.psychiatrypodcast.com/psychiatry-psychotherapy-podcast/2019/11/23/joker-the-movie-a-character-analysis Pomerantz, A. M. (2022). My psychology. Macmillan Higher Education. Vélez-Agosto, N. M., Soto-Crespo, J. G., Vizcarrondo-Oppenheimer, M., Vega-Molina, S., & García Coll, C. (2017). Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory revision: Moving culture from the macro into the micro. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(5), 900-910.

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Joker: A Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory Analysis By: Amaya Wilson Date: Oct 2024

THE FILM

Arthur Fleck (Joker) raised in Gotham city work as a clown for a company called Haha’s and aspires to be a famous stand up comedian in the 1980s. Arthur struggles with severe depression as well as a medical condition that causes uncontrollable laughter called the pseudobulbar effect, made worse in emotional moments. Living in the 1980s working as a clown with mental disorders lead to Arthur being assaulted, and alienated from society. He puts on two faces to act as if everything in his life was perfect. He lives with his Mother, Penny Fleck, who is sick and diagnosed with narsassistic personality disorder an suffers with delusions. The major conflict ocured between Arthur and himself but then as he started to bring his true feeling forward it became him vs those who judge.

Themes

The film explores the theme of mental illness, expectations and childhood trauma. It first highlights the importance of providing better/ adequate services of help for people with mental disorders. In his therapy session he openly expresses that he was never listened to by his therapist. He said to her, “don't think you ever really hear me, you just ask the same questions every week”. (Joker , 2019). He would speak to her in all truth and honesty, in response he would receive generic statements. This is meant to speak on the way society treats those who are mentally ill, and the flaws in systems that are meant to help them. Even so budget cuts in the city led to his therapist company being shut down, leaving him without meds and someone to talk to.

Arthur’s mothers mental disorder made her neglectful toward him and him getting brutally abused by her boyfriend when he was a child. The effects of her disorder lead to Arthur's abuse and head injury that correlates with a mixture of pseudobulbar affect, depression and hints of “narcissism” never received adequate help. The film explores expectations in society. People's expectations pressured Arthur to feel like he needed to put on two faces to act “normal”. It enhanced his depression because he had to pretend to be someone else to avoid mistreatment but even in doing so he was still alienated. Throughout the film he learns to drop other people's expectations of himself and that's when he starts to “give people what they deserve”.

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological theory Analysis (role of time)

For this project I selected the major theory of Bronfendbrenner’s Ecological theory coined by russian- American psychologist, Urie Bronfenbrenner. The ecological theory suggests that a child’s development is a result/ product of their interactions with environments around them as well as their biology. The theory leans into the impact of parent-child, teacher- child and peer relationships.  He divided environments into 5 systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem. The microsystem is the 1st level that includes children's immediate relationships/ environment. It’s the direct interactions with parents, teachers, siblings etc. that can effect change their actions and beliefs. The mesosystem is the 2nd level where a child individual microsystem intersects with different microsystems. The exosystem is a component of the ecological systems. Its the influence of social structures like “local governments, friends of the family and mass media” as well as work. The macrosystem states that culture has an impact on children’s beliefs and values. It refers to “already established society and culture in which the child is developing”.

Criticism of the Theory Lack of Diversity: Many critique the theories as conclusions were drawn after Bronfenbrenner’s had a focused study “on middle-class, Western families, potentially overlooking the experiences of children from other cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds (Vélez-Agosto et al., 2017). Meaning that its not inclusive of minorities or people of different cultural background different from western/european.