 On the other hand, the sheltered family is more likely to lack the nurturing support of extended family.Since its publication in 1979, Bronfenbrenner's major statement of this theory, "The Ecology of Human Development"  has had widespread influence on the way psychologists and others approach the study of human beings and their environments.As a result of his groundbreaking work in "human ecology", these environments — from the family to economic and political structures — have come to be viewed as part of the life course from childhood through adulthood.