Also of concern to Bronfenbrenner is the “deficit” model used to determine the level of support granted by the public
to struggling families. Parents must declare themselves deficient in some way in order to qualify for help in solving
problems that may come about because of our cultural value of independence. A larger degree of failure means a
larger amount of support. By working from this deficit model, we expect families to hold their hands up from deep
inside a black hole of helplessness. Then, we expect them to have the psychological strength to climb up the thin
rope the throw down.