Application of Bronfenbrenners Theory in Juno Movie - Essay Example

Nursing Name: Course: Professor: Institution: May 10, 2012 Introduction Health care systems have a role of ensuring the safety of the patient. It takes the participation of all the people involved including the patient to make better choices in ensuring they get the best health care. However many are the times that people are influenced by the policies and procedures in these health systems in how they view and respond to the programs (Berer, 2000, p. 582). Sociological and psychological factors can also not be ignored while dealing with patients as they also play a big part in determining how the patients respond to the health system and the treatment situations. There are many structure that are involved in one’s development which either affect the person directly or indirectly (Berer, 2004, p. 132). These structures then connect with one another and they even the affect the structures in a person’s Microsystems and they influence the person in making decisions. This paper will focus on how people respond to health treatment and situations and the factors that may influence or stand in their way of treatment in consideration of the characters and different scenarios presented in the Juno movie. It will also look at the Bronfenbrenner theory in relation to the Juno movie (Berer, 2000, p. 582). Juno’s decision of not to abort the baby but rather keep it and give it for adoption is not as result of autonomy and freedom that she had but it was a result of the interaction she had with different people starting from her immediate family and the society at large (Berer, 2000, p. 580). This shows that a person health is factor of the environmental structures and how these relate with each other. It is therefore right that, before passing judgement on someone’s behaviour we first try to understand them. Juno movie review The movie is about a young teenage girl Juno who becomes pregnant with her high school boyfriend Paulie Bleeker. This is when she was bored and decided not to go to the mall and instead have time with her boyfriend. Juno lives with her father MacGuff and her stepmother Bren (Berer, 2000, p. 582). Upon learning that she was indeed pregnant, Juno phones at an abortion clinic and tells them that she was to procure a hasty abortion. At the abortion clinic the place looks disserted with hardly any car outside and this makes one believe no people comes to such a place. When Juno gets to the clinic she finds a lone protester who was chanting that all children want to be born and scares Juno by telling her that her child has fingernails. Juno ignores and gets inside where she is hardly welcomed by a huge woman who pretends to be a receptionist (Berer, 2004, p. 132). The receptionist frustrated Juno by questioning her about intimate matters and also telling her of the sexual appetite of her boyfriend. Juno feels confused and frustrated and she energetically runs away from the clinic as the lone protester chases after her. Finally Juno decides to keep the baby and instead give it for adoption. She goes through the advertisements in the yellow pages together with her friend to try and find prospective parents who can adopt her child. When she did she contacted them and they started a relationship with them in to an extent of visiting the parents in the company of her dad. The adopting parents Mark and Vanessa later divorced but Juno still gave the baby to Vanessa (Berer, 2004, p. 133). This shows how abortion and adoption laws are changing and how they affect the health of a person. According to the abortion act of 1967 hospitals and licensed clinics can perform an abortion. This is because in UK divorce is done in hospitals and other specialized clinic that are licensed and one have the right to get an abortion upon request. Open adoption is allowed where the parents have contacts to the one another and can choose who is to adopt their child (Berer, 2000, p. 582). Bronfenbrenner’s theory According to Bronfenbrenner theory this can be termed as an influence from the various systems that interact in a child development. Bronfenbrenner theory looks at child’s development in terms of those systems that have relationship with the child’s environment (Berer, 2004, p. 142).. According to Bronfenbrenner the child’s biology is the primary entity that steers her development. Family and societal environments also contribute in the development in a child. Any conflict in any of these layers can overlap in other layers (Berer, 2004, p. 142). Therefore, when looking at a child’s development one should not only look at the child alone but also at all the other environmental and societal components as well. Bronfenbrenner described the environment in a form of structure with different layers. The first level in this structure is called micro system. This is the closest layer which the child has a direct contact with. Structures in this layer include child care, school, family, church and neighbourhood. The relationships at this level are bi directional in the sense that they can affect in both directions. For instance a child can affect the beliefs and the behaviours of the parents and the vice versa is also true (Keesey et al, 2006, p. 109). This layer has the strongest influences that are very strong on the child. Nevertheless the outside layers can also affect this inner layer. The second layer is called the mesosystem. This is the level at which the different entities and structures in the Microsystems are connected. A good example is the connection between the child’s parent and the teachers in school. Exosystem is the next layer which defines the larger social system in which the child does not get involved directly. The different structures in this level interact with other structures in the child’s micro system to influence the child’s development. Good examples include the parent’s schedule and the work place or even resources that are community based. The other layer is macro system. It is the outmost layer which mostly comprise of cultural values and laws in the community. It also has an effect in the child’s micro system by interacting with all the other systems (Berer, 2004, p. 142). Application of Bronfenbrenner’s theory in Juno movie In relation to Juno movie the Bronfenbrenner theory is well demonstrated. This is shown where in Juno’s mesosystems, the different structures are seen interacting with one another and in return influences Juno, in how she views herself and the situation she is in. Juno is getting a lot of support from her family members. The father MacGuff supports her by giving her support in her decision of adoption and even goes to an extent of visiting the adoptive parents with her. In this Juno gets faith that her dad raised her right. Her stepmother is very concerned of her health and always ensures that she attends her ultra sound. Juno is seen appreciating Bren’s support considering her mother is not there (Berer, 2004, p. 122). Her sister Liberty Bell loves Juno and Juno appreciates it and she loves her in return. Leah a best friend to Juno removes Juno among women when she thought that Juno wanted to procure an abortion. Leah also remained very close to Juno throughout her pregnancy. The two girls believe that they have the capacity to make informed decision despite being only sixteen years. Paulie Bleeker loves Juno and supports her decision regarding her pregnancy and Juno loves him also and they believe that love can survive anything. The school even after learning that Juno was pregnant they still allowed her to attend until she completed her high school. In this Juno was able to show that a teenage mother can still continue with her education and get a diploma (Keesey et al, 2006, p. 109). The decision of Juno to keep the child does not come of the autonomy or freedom that Juno has, but it is as a result of the relationships Juno had with different people. In Juno’s exosystem, the parents have the freedom and time to give support to Juno as they own their businesses and they do not need to explain why to any boss. Dundy’s drugstore shopkeeper gives Juno a truthful advice when she went to take a pregnant test. It is in the women now clinic, where Juno found a friend who told her that the child had fingernails and so she decides to keep it and give up for adoption. The adoptive parents Mark and Vanessa were spotted in the yellow pages. Having disapproved Paulie and Juno relationship, Carol Bleeker makes it impossible for the two to raise the baby together as Juno did not want to complicate Paulie’s life and she loved her. The hospital is a community facility where Juno used to go for her ultrasound and one day the technician gave her the community’s view on teenage pregnancy (Barkway, 2009, p. 33). Her stepmother Bren defends her against the comments. The macro system in this case is represented by the adoption laws, abortion laws, education laws and the school rules. These laws are the ones that help Juno in deciding whether she will have an abortion or she will keep the baby for adoption. In the case of adoption, it is very clear that open adoption is allowed where the mother decides who is to adopt her child as shown by Juno and the father supports her when they visit the adoptive couple (Keesey et al, 2006, p. 109). The education and school rules help Juno in continuing with her education until she clears her high school. There are other influences that are coming to play in this movie. The Pennysaver catalogue makes it easier for Juno to trace a family that can adopt her child. The society has a negative view on teenage mothers and this has affected Juno and so she finds it odd to bring the child up by herself and this is why she chooses to give it to adoptive parents (Barkway, 2009, p. 23). Children laws have played a part in defending Juno and the unborn baby. Events that happen with time are also seen to have an effect on Juno’s life. A good example is when Juno had sex with Paulie and when she found out that she was pregnant. During the time when Juno went to the clinic she met the lone protester Su-Chin who made her change her mind about abortion. Juno thought Mark and Vanessa were the perfect parents for her baby but when they divorced she thought twice on whether it was the right decision for giving her baby to them. The fact that she did not abort the baby and finally gave birth made Juno realize that she had the ability to make good decisions though she was still a child. Implication of Juno movie in healthcare systems The health system demonstrated is one of freedom and democracy where a person can choose to do an abortion or not. A person’s decision cannot be overruled with force as there are no laws that can prove them guilty as it is allowed. This is shown by the fact that the women Now clinic is operating in broad day light and it is licensed to an extent of being allowed to put an advertisement on the yellow pages.pro life choices are inadequate and this is clearly demonstrated by the lone protestor outside the clinic. This shows that not many people who are anti-abortion. Pro-choice theme is demonstrated by the little attention that is given to the clinic as the film does not show them often. The desert car park also makes one imagine that no one goes there as nobody wants to be associated with such a place (Berer, 2000, p. 99). Health care practice is demonstrated by the huge receptionist who questions Juno on intimate matters in public and she hardly welcomes her to the clinic. This demonstrates how the health care practitioners serve the patients with a lot of disregard and very little if any empathy and they forget that they are in charge of a patient’s health and they should keep the patients records and information with confidentiality (Dewar, 2009, p. 132). This can affect the patient by making them cheat in some occasion when they feel embarrassed. This means that the condition that the patient was supposed to be treated is not the right condition they will be treated. The patient knowing that they have cheated and given the wrong medication of their condition, they cannot agree to take those medications and this affects their health in return. Health care practitioners make their clients lose confidence and trust in them and so they can even avoid these centres. Juno is seen as to suffering from imagined loss of her child. She is seen practicing a lot of motherhood when interacting with the adoptive family when they spend time together thinking of names to give to the baby. Juno starts to feel attracted to the father to be of her child when they spent time watching films. This was not really an intimate attraction to the father to be directly but she was feeling sorry that she is to lose her child to him and so she became closer to him. Juno is about sixteen years of age. This is the age that is between adolescent and adulthood (Barkway, 2009, p. 19). It was referred by Hendry and Kloep as emerging adulthood. This is a period when an individual is leaving adolescent and so is being affected by issues in that stage and is as well being affected by the adulthood stage and thus the person become confused (WHO, 1992 p.63). It is a time when most teenagers can easily be influenced by situation and people around them .The reasoning capability is also overshadowed by their “know it all” attitude. This is why Juno is seen behaving like a kid who don’t even to understand that she is pregnant and just jokes around portraying a don’t care attitude (Keesey et al, 2006, p. 109). Again she is seen getting attached to her baby and she decides she won’t kill the baby only to give it to adoptive parents who have divorced. Gender dynamics are well represented in the movie. This is well demonstrated by the determination of Juno to still give her baby to Vanessa even when the couple had divorced. Another thing is how Juno is demonstrated as a light hearted girl even when she became pregnant. In the movie the young girl is shown as someone who is appreciated in the society and teenage pregnancy is no longer seen as abnormal. In the case of Juno, her pregnancy is demonstrated as normal even when it might not be normal (World Health Organization, 1992, p. 67). Though Juno got pregnant after a sexual encounter with Paulie not much is said about Paulie and it almost to be forgotten that she was with somebody when she actually became pregnant. This makes it appear like it is Juno who was on the wrong by becoming pregnant (WHO, 1992, p. 67). There is a misrepresentation of male clients in the abortion clinic even when they are equally concerned as females. None of the males is shown at first in this clinic but so many are involved here. Again the male teacher who is seen demonstrating how a condom is used made Paulie been seen as somebody who is naïve concerning the contraception yet in the movie there is nowhere he is demonstrated as an ignorant character. The movie however is seen to be getting something right (WHO, 1992, p. 64). One when Paulie is consulted on the abortion issue he quickly agrees to it and later denies and wonders who made the decision on abortion. He pretended not to recall being asked of advice before this matter seemed resolved. This is typical of our males who ignore responsibility of such matters. Juno did not ask Paulie to accompany him to the abortion clinic and instead went to a, male friend. Most women do not involve their men in abortion matters. In addition Paulie did not speak to anyone concerning the abortion (Keesey et al, 2006, p. 112). Most men do not talk about their worries with anyone and the few who do only talk to health staffs. This means that males in the clinic waiting room need more education on contraception than what has been shown in the film. Conclusion Health care systems have the responsibility of safeguarding the patient’s health. The patients also have a role of ensuring that they get the best treatment and their life is not endangered. There are many policies and rules that determine how well the health care staffs are going to give this care. However there are many factors that come to play when the health care systems are in function. These factors are well explained by Urie Brofenbrenner in his ecological theory (Dewar, 2009, p. 69). In this theory Brofenbrenner says that a child development is a factor of the biological, environmental and social factors and how they interrelate with one another. He therefore suggest that it is always good while looking at a child’s development to also look at the many structures that come into play in order to understand why a child has grown in a particular manner (Barkway, 2009, p. 27). This has very well been demonstrated by the characters in the Juno movie. It has come out very clearly that the decision made by Juno to keep the pregnancy was not out of her autonomy or the freedom but rather it was as a result of the relationships that she had with other people. Policies and practices in the health care systems have much to improve as they are not what they are supposed to be. A good example is that men need to get more education on the contraceptives and the blame placed on women due to unplanned pregnancy should be on both partners. Health practitioners and staff need to have empathy as they attend to the patients and they should do this with a lot of confidentiality. Bibliography:  Barkway P, 2009, Psychology for health professionals, Elsevier, Sydney. Berer M., 2000, ‘Making abortions safe: a matter of good public health policy and practice’. Bull World Health Organ vol 78: 580–92. Berer M., 2004, ’National laws and unsafe abortion: the parameters of change’. Reprod Health Matters. vol 12: 1–8. Dewar, D., 2009, Essentials of Health Economics, England U.K .Jones & Bartlett Learning Keesey et al 2006. ‘Who Is at Greatest Risk for Receiving Poor-Quality Health Care?’The new England journal of medidice.vol 12.no 6 World Health Organization, 1992, The prevention and management of unsafe abortion. Report of a Technical Working Group, Viewed on 10 may, 2012 from < http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1992/WHO_MSM_92.5.pdf> Read More