Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Model and the Use of Imported Madras Cloth Among the Kalabari

Abstract

The father of a Kalabari newborn child in Nigeria ceremoniously delivers a piece of Indian madras cloth to the mother of the child to carry it. This personal emblem of entry into society also marks the individual's departurefrom life when family mourners dress the corpse for burial. We assess the significance of Kalabari involvement with a material culture item, Indian madras cloth, by placing it in the context of an ecological systems model first outlined and later revised by Urie Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenner's model provides a framework for understanding the significance of material items in the life of a people. Our application of the study of a textile demonstrates the usefulness of the model. We also recommend that the model be extended because individuals in any cultural group exist within a global context of production and trade.