2026-10-14T08:57:35Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33912325 2026-10-01T17:51:55Z portal_1197 item_type_6 month_year_10_2026

Nested ecologies of childhood : a microbial turn in developmental theory Zsuzsa Millei (21294266) Nick Lee (25060276) Sarah Alminde (25060279) Asta Breinholt (25060282) Mira Grönroos (25060285) Riikka Hohti (25060288) Sami Keto (25060291) Marja Roslund (25060294) Spyros Spyrou (25060297) Tuure Tammi (25060300) Hanne Warming (25060303) Juliene Madureira Ferreira (25060306) Child development Early childhood education -- Psychological aspects Bronfenbrenner, Urie, 1917-2005 Developmental psychology Environmental psychology Nature and nurture Migrated from ePrints This article expands Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model by integrating biological and ecological processes—particularly microbial life—into its core concept of proximal processes. Drawing on host–microbiome research and the concept of the child-as-ecosystem, we reconceptualize the developing person as a multispecies being embedded within nested ecological systems. Through four interdisciplinary encounters—spanning social stratification, family separation, socialisation, and environmental health—we demonstrate how microbial diversity and ecological entanglements shape children’s development, well-being, and learning. We argue that BEM’s human-centered framework must evolve to reflect multispecies interdependencies and ecological realities, especially in the context of biodiversity loss and climate change. This rethinking has direct implications for early childhood education, research, and policy, offering a more ecologically attuned model of development. 2026-02-12T00:00:00Z Text Journal contribution 10.37291/2717638X.202671712 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Nested_ecologies_of_childhood_a_microbial_turn_in_developmental_theory/33912325 CC BY-NC-ND 4.0