ADHD in America: A Bioecological Analysis

Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry, Volume 7, Number 1, Spring 2005

ADHD in America:
A Bioecological Analysis
Jeanne Stolzer, PhD
University of Nebraska
Kearney, NE

Tbe mass labeling and drugging of American cbildren bas reacbed epidemic proportions.
Currently, Americans are immersed in a linear medical model wbicb promotes tbe wide-
spread use of psycbotropic medications in cbild populations in order to control undesir-
able bebaviors. Wbile no one bas any idea of tbe long-term results of tbis giant proxy
experiment, many academicians, researcbers, and medical professionals are actively ques-
tioning tbe reliability and validity of tbis reductionistic and deterministic model. Tbis ar-
ticle will explore tbe ADHD pbenomenon using Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological
tbeory. Familial, political, economical, biological, medical, contextual, cultural, and bis-
torical system alterations will be explored in deptb in order to gain new insigbts into tbe
mytb of ADHD. Particular attention will be given to tbe interactive nature of tbe vari-
ous systems proposed by Bronfenbrenner, and integral linkages will be discussed. Tbe
goal of tbis article is to offer a tbeoretically sound alternative to tbe current medical
model and to cballenge tbe existing ADHD paradigm tbat patbologizes normal-range
cbild bebaviors.

Keywords: ADHD; ADD; bebavioral disorders; cbildbood bebavioral disorders

B ronfenbrenner (1999) tbeorized tbat developnient is sbaped by various interacting
systetns, wbicb include tbe microsystem, tbe mesosystem, tbe exosystem, and tbe
macrosystem. Tbe core tbeoretical premise of tbe bioecological model is tbat bu-
man development is a function of tbe forces from all of tbe various systems, and tbe rela-
tionsbips tbat exist between tbe systems. Bronfenbrenner (1989) bas postulated tbat tbe
various systems are bi-directional in nature as tbey are continually influencing us, and we
in tum are continually influencing tbem. According to tbe corollaries contained witbin
Bronfenbrenner's tbeory, tbe systems are intrinsically intertwined; alterations occurring
on one level bave tbe potential to affect tbe entire system (1989). Employing Bronfen-
brenner's tbeory, tbe following sections will address tbe linkages tbat exist between tbe
bioecological corollaries and tbe epidemic of attention deficit byperactivity disorder
(ADHD) in America.

THE MICROSYSTEM

Tbe microsystem is defined as "a pattern of activities, roles, and interpersonal relations
experienced by tbe developing person in a given face-to-face setting witb particular

© 2005 Springer Publishing Company 65

66 Stoker

pbysical and material features" (Bronfenbrenner, 1989, p. 67). Tbe microsystem is cbar-
acterized by direct, intimate, interactional processes as familial relationsbips and close
friendships are tbe cornerstone of tbis system. Bronfenbrenner bas bypotbesized tbat
significant otbers continually influence individual development by altering and/or main-
taining particular environments tbat eitber encourage optimal developmental processes,
or suppress tbe probability of optimal developmental trajectories (1999).
Over tbe course of tbe last century, Americans have dramatically altered their parent-
ing practices. For 99.9% of our time on eartb, bumans have practiced what I shall refer to
in this article as "attachment parenting" (Dettwyler, 1995). Attachment parenting is
characterized by long-term breast-feeding, cbild-led weaning, co-sleeping, and staying in
close pbysical proximity to one's offspring tbroughout early childhood (Stuart-Macadam
& Dettwyler, 1995).
Humans, along with other warm-blooded vertebrates, have been categorized as mam-
mals because they sustain their young with milk secreted from their breasts (Ben Shaul,
1962). Humans, while typed as mammals according to specific and measurable biologic
characteristics, are also social creatures who construct and maintain particular cultural
customs (Stuart-Macadam & Dettwyler, 1995). For millions of years, breast-feeding bu-
man young was considered a fundamental component of tbe maternal experience; con-
ception, pregnancy, birtb, and lactation were perceived as intrinsically intertwined. Un-
til the early 1900s, the collective human culture dictated that breast-feeding was an
integral and natural component of the birthing process (Dettwyler, 1995).
In 1900, 98% of all children in the United States of America were breast-fed; weaning
at the tum of the century in America occurred between 2 and 4 years of age (Stuart-
Macadam & Dettwyler, 1995). Currently, less than half of American infants are fed hu-
man milk, and more than 80% of these children are weaned by 6 months of age (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). These statistics clearly indicate that
a significant biocultural shift has occurred within the perimeters of the microsystem over
the last 100 years.
Researchers have analyzed weaning rates in traditional hunter-gatherer societies and
have concluded that the majority of children currently living in these societies are
weaned between 2 and 5 years of age (Dettwyler, 1995; Wickes, 1953). Prevailing ideolo-
gies in the West dictate that long-term nursing is pathological, yet when analyzing world-
wide weaning rates (where the norm is 2.9 years), it appears that it is the West that is
atypical in comparison to the majority of the earth's inhabitants (Wray, 1990).
It is a possibility that biological changes within the microsystem have led to alter-
ations in the mother-child relationship. Strictly controlled studies have concluded that
lactating females differ significantly from their non-lactating cohorts. Lactating females
present an altered physiological state as lactation stimulates the pituitary gland to acti-
vate the secretion of oxytocin and prolactin (Lawrence, 1994). These specific hormones
are elevated in lactating women, and prolonged elevation of these hormones is due to the
frequency, intensity, and duration with which a child nurses (Jelliffe & Jelliffe, 1986;
Lawrence, 1994).
Researchers have documented that elevated oxytocin levels are highly correlated
with maternal nurturance (Stuart-Macadam & Dettwyler, 1995); the desire to stay in
close physical proximity to one's offspring (Insel &. Shapiro, 1992); and a significant de-
crease in maternal anxiety levels (Uvnas-Moberg, Widstrom, Nissen, & Bjorvell, 1990).
Researcb bas also indicated tbat elevated oxytocin levels are associated witb an overall
sense of maternal well-being and feelings of calmness and serenity (McCartby, Kow,
& Pfaff, 1992). Although it cannot be assumed that maternal behavior is entirely

ADHD in America 67

hormonally regulated, there are indications that hormones such as oxytocin do have
the potential to affect the mother-child relationship, thus affecting the long-term de-
velopmental trajectory of the individual child (Silber, Larsson, & Uvnas-Moberg,
1991).
Research indicates that oxytocin and prolactin alter not only maternal behaviors, but
perbaps more importantly, tbese bormones been found to alter maternal perceptions
(Dettwyler, 1995; McCartby et al., 1992). It has been hypothesized that lactation facili-
tates the ancient mother-child "dance"; an evolutionary partnership that has been
perfected over millions of years to ensure optimal physiological and psychological inter-
dependence (Stuart-Macadam & Dettwyler, 1995). It is a possibility that when disrup-
tions in the "dance" occur, psychological, biological, cognitive, and social processes may
be altered for botb mother and child thus opening the door for the unprecedented
parental acceptance of the myth of ADHD in America.
Seminal research indicates that breast-feeding decreases tbe incidence of problematic
cbild bebaviors. Maslow's 1946 study concluded tbat breast-fed children, when compared
to their artificially fed cohorts, displayed significantly fewer bebavioral problems
(Maslow & Szilagy-Kessler, 1946). Holloway (1949) demonstrated that children who
were breast-fed were significantly more likely to display pro-social behaviors and to en-
gage in self-regulation. From an evolutionary standpoint, it would appear that breast-
feeding ensures optimal developmental trajectories in cbild populations, and may also
positively influence maternal perceptions and bebaviors (Stuart-Macadam & Dettwyler,
1995). However, in order to fully understand what role breast-feeding plays in the pre-
vention of childhood behavioral disorders, more research is needed in order to establisb
tbe magnitude and direction ofthis hypothesized relationship.
Research definitively indicates that breast-feeding is more than nutrition. Human
milk contains over 100 constituents that are present in different chemical compositions
and in different amounts than are found in other mammalian milk (Jelliffe & Jelliffe,
1978; Stuart-Macadam & Dettwyler, 1995). Researchers have yet to determine what role
these unique constituents play in the role of child development, but what is irrefutable is
that human milk is a dynamic substance that changes from feed to feed, day to day,
month to month, and is based on an individual cbild's unique and complex needs
(Lawrence, 1994).
Tbe United States consistently has the lowest breast-feeding rates in the world (Stu-
art-Macadam & Dettwyler, 1995). The Surgeon General of the United States has indi-
cated that in order to ensure optimal developmental processes for women and children,
breast-feeding rates must increase (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
2000). At present time, the linkages between breast-feeding and ADHD bave yet to be
established. However, it is interesting to note that the country with the lowest breast-
feeding rates also has the highest incidence of ADHD in child populations. Perhaps
breast-feeding protects against the label of ADHD by ensuring optimal physiological
functioning and by ensuring optimal motber and child attachment. Although more re-
search is needed in this area, it seems reasonable to assume that when an ancient mam-
malian practice such as breast-feeding is disrupted, alterations in maternal and child
developmental processes may result.
Breast-feeding is not the only ancient mammalian practice that has been altered by
modem-day Americans. Palmer (1991) has stated, "The practice of co-sleeping has been
tbe norm since the dawn of human civilization" (p. 107) and that this ancient practice
continued unabated until the 1900s. Quandt (1985) has asserted that along with the ad-
vent of uni-sleeping practices came the manufacturing of products that were intended to

68 Stofer

keep mother and child separated (i.e., playpens, strollers, cribs, bottles, formula, pacifiers,
etc). McKenna and his colleagues (1993) demonstrated that traditional child-rearing
practices (which include keeping the child in close physical proximity during the day and
night) encourages optimal dyadic cue reading and lead to a distinct type of mother and
child synchronicity, a synchronicity that has been perfected over 5-7 million years of bo-
minid evolution.
In American culture, co-sleeping is viewed as atypical. However, co-sleeping can be
seen across cultures, across historical time, and across mammalian species. Currently,
80% of the world co-sleeps (Fogel, 2001), yet the majority of Americans eschew this
ancient mammalian practice (Palmer, 1991). Americans have become quite adept at
keeping parent and cbild separated (particularly during the nighttime hours). We give
pacifiers, blankets, bears with human heartbeats—things intended to suffice in lieu of
parental comfort. We teach our children very early on to depend on the things to comfort
them. From an evolutionary standpoint, the ancient practice of co-sleeping increased the
child's rate of survival and ensured optimal parent-child attachment (Dettwyler, 1995).
Data confirm that until approximately 100 years ago, parent-child co-sleeping was prac-
ticed throughout the world (Lancaster & Lancaster, 1982).
Dettwyler (1995) has postulated that the ascent of the formula industry in tandem
with the American practice of uni-sleeping illustrates specific cultural practices which
infringe upon our mammalian heritage, a heritage that was framed by natural selection
over millions of years to ensure the optimal development of women and children. It has
been hypothesized that disruptions within the microsystem (i.e., attachment disruption)
can lead to a myriad of problems in the mother-child dyad (Bowlby, 1988). Furthermore,
disruptions occurring within the microsystem have the potential to negatively impact
broad-based systemic functioning, thus altering the course of humankind (Bronfenbren-
ner, 1989, 1999).
At present time, we bave no way of knowing how alterations in ancient mammalian
parenting practices impact ADHD traits. What is certain is that those who have a vested
interest in promoting the myth of ADHD have completely ignored the enormous com-
plexities surrounding this issue, and have refused to take into account evolutionary
processes. Instead of employing a bioecological model when analyzing ADHD traits, we
have chosen instead a reductionistic and deterministic model that promotes the mass la-
beling and drugging of cbildren. Tbe medical model promotes the theory of the "neuro-
logically disordered brain," and in doing so, neglects to take into account other possible
explanations for ADHD-typed bebaviors.
Perhaps relationship changes occurring within the microsystem have made parents
more willing to accept the myth of ADHD. When ancient maternal behaviors are modi-
fied, it is a distinct possibility tbat psycbological, biological, cognitive, and social process-
es may be altered in hoth the parent and the child. Couple these evolutionary alterations
with the rise of the pharmaceutical industry and the widespread acceptance of main-
stream psychiatry, and it is no surprise tbat the myth of ADHD has been unconditionally
accepted by tbe masses.

THE MESOSYSTEM

The mesosystem is defined as the "linkages and processes taking place between two or
more settings containing tbe developing person" (Bronfenbrenner, 1989, p. 227). Tbe
mesosystem includes daycare settings, the education system, and the workforce. Children

ADHD in America 69

are impacted in various ways by the functioning of the mesosystem, and alterations with-
in this system may in fact be correlated with the increasing rates of ADHD in America.
Perhaps because we are moving away from our mammalian heritage (i.e., ancient at-
tachment parenting practices), we have come to believe tbat parents are dispensable.
Americans have recently constructed an ideology that assumes that children can be away
from their parents during the vast majority of their formative years and attachment
processes will proceed unaltered. Seventy-five percent of all children under 12 months of
age are currently in full time non-parental care in the US (Fogel, 2001). Daycare workers
in this country have the highest turnover rates of any profession. They are paid extreme-
ly low salaries, receive little if any benefits, and report high levels of stress (Fogel). Cur-
rently, there are no federal regulations regarding training or education for daycare work-
ers, nor are there uniform laws regarding teacher-child ratios (Fogel). The fact of the
matter is we are involved in one giant proxy experiment; never in the history of hu-
mankind have we relegated our parental responsibilities to uninvested, unrelated
strangers.
Do we really assume tbere will be no consequences associated witb this experiment?
Ethologists have known for decades that if you try this "daycare experiment" with any
other mammal, catastrophic disruptions in the attachment process will result. Yet, we,
the most advanced nation on earth, have convinced ourselves that we are different than
other mammals. We have conned ourselves into accepting the myth of "quality time"
and in doing so, have successfully assuaged our collective parental guilt.
There is a common misconception that the "era of the working mother" has made at-
tachment parenting impossible. However, bistorical data indicates that women have
worked for thousands of years while practicing attachment parenting (Stuart-Macadam
& Dettwyler, 1995). It is the modern era that has decreed that parenting and working
cannot occur simultaneously. "Working" is not inherently incompatible witb parenting;
it is our particular culture tbat has drawn this line. The dichotomy that prevails in the
West between tbe public and private spberes is essential to tbis debate. Parenting has
been defined in tbe West as a private-sphere practice, while working is defined as a pub-
lic activity (Carballo & Pelto, 1991; Stuart-Macadam & Dettwyler, 1995). According to
tbis dicbotomous worldview, attachment parenting is forbidden witbin tbe boundaries of
tbe public spbere, tbus perpetuating our cultural acceptance of paying someone otber
than a parent to care for our children.
Baumsiag and Michels (1995) have asserted that specific, national policies would help
to promote attachment parenting in America. They propose a federally mandated mater-
nal health policy which includes guaranteed job reinstatement; flexible work scbedules;
flextime; part-time work; job sharing; option to work from home; and guaranteed
parental leave options. The fact is, we value the worker above tbe parent. Currently in
America, a woman's wortb is based on her economic earning power and not on her com-
petence and commitment in the maternal arena. Until we can collectively face these
facts, any proposed change in policy that would benefit our cbildren seems remote at
best. It is more likely that we will continue to label our cbildren with mythical diseases
such as ADHD rather than address those policies and ideologies which perpetuate the
mass labeling and drugging of American children.
Van Esterik (1994) has acknowledged that scholars who advocate for children may be
accused of subscribing to an "anti-woman sentiment." Van Esterik bas called for a para-
digm sbift tbat would honor women for their contributions to tbe public sphere and for
their provision of optimal care for their children. The dichotomy of the public and
private spberes may probibit women from excelling in tbe workplace, and it clearly

70 Stoizer

diminishes a woman's inimitable, biosocial capacity as a unique and irreplaceable force in
the life of her child (Stuart-Macadam & Dettwyler, 1995; Van Esterik, 1994).
Compulsory schooling is yet another example of how mesosystemic processes have
been altered over the last 100 years. Recess is no longer deemed a necessary part of the
curriculum and cuts in physical education have become widespread. Research has con-
firmed that children who are given the opportunity to engage in large motor outdoor ac-
tivities during the course of the school day exhibit significantly fewer behavioral prob-
lems (Pellegrini, 1988). In spite of this fact, teachers across this country continue to use
"staying in for recess" as punishment for inappropriate behavior, a practice which may in
fact increase the probability of behavioral problems at school.
American classrooms are overcrowded, and teacher-child ratio is an ongoing problem.
Furthermore, teachers are now assuming the role of psychologist, psychiatrist, and/or
neurologist. Let us not forget that teachers are not trained as psychologists, psychiatrists,
or neurologists. Teachers have a teaching certificate as they are trained in curriculum and
instruction, not in diagnosing "neo neurological" disorders (Cohen, 2004). The majority
of teachers colleges in the US do not require teachers to take classes in development.
How is it that teachers can accurately implement an appropriate curriculum when they
have no training in child development? How is a teacher to identify normal-range, age-
appropriate behaviors when the teacher has little if any training in this area? Further-
more, teachers have swallowed the myth that disruptive behavior indicates some type of
brain abnormality, yet research clearly indicates that "ADHD traits" have been highly
adaptive throughout human history (Jensen et al, 1997).
It appears that the study of child development has gone by the wayside when it comes
to defining atypical behavior in the classroom. Children by their very nature are inatten-
tive, spontaneous, active, and messy (Breggin, 1995). These attributes do not indicate an
underlying neurological pathology; they are instead innate behaviors that have been doc-
umented across cultures, across historical time, and across mammalian species.
There is clearly an economic incentive to label children with a myriad of mythical
diseases in this country. Children who have been diagnosed with ADHD (as well as oth-
er "brain disorders") are covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and
as such, schools receive federal monies in order to accommodate such students (Cohen,
2004). ADHD rates in child populations vary considerably from school to school; private
schools that do not benefit economically from labeling students tend to have much lower
rates of ADHD in their populations (Cohen, 1994). In this current climate where chil-
dren are forced to sell magazine subscriptions in order to supplement their school budget,
it is not surprising that ADHD rates in public schools across this country are skyrocket-
ing. Somehow, the schools must meet their budgetary expenses, but it cannot, and must
not, be at the expense of our children.
Daycare, the dichotomy of the public and private spheres, and compulsory schooling
were covered under mesosystemic functioning. We have, in the course of one generation,
altered attachment processes, the mother-child relationship, and perceptions regarding
normal-range child behaviors within the educational system. All of these alterations can
be seminally linked with the advent of ADHD in America. Now, let us focus our atten-
tion on the exosystem.

THE EXOSYSTEM

The exosystem is defined as "the linkages and processes taking place between two or
more settings, at least one of which does not ordinarily contain the developing person.

ADHD in America 7]

but in which events occur that influence processes within the immediate setting that
does contain that person" (Bronfenbrenner, 1989, p. 227).
A review of the literature indicates that the pharmaceutical industry has a vested eco-
nomic interest in promoting the myth of ADHD. Parenting magazines, television, and
doctors' offices routinely advertise psychotropic drugs for use in child populations. This
unprecedented flood of advertising has strengthened our collective acceptance of the
myth of ADHD in America. The pharmaceutical industry openly promotes the "disease
model" and it is clear that this promotion is motivated by economic gain (Jureidini &
Mansfield, 2001). The pharmaceutical industry has helped much in assuaging parental
guilt as claims from the industry assure the American parent that the cause of their
child's behavior is "brain related" and has nothing whatsoever to do with parenting, in-
stitutionalized schooling, national policies, or cultural ideologies. The pharmaceutical
industry also promotes the belief that "brain disorders" (i.e., ADHD) in children require
the use of psychotropic medications in order to control undesirable child behaviors
(Breggin, 2001).
Perhaps most disturbing is the economic alliance that exists between the pharma-
ceutical industry and the medical community. The pharmaceutical industry methodi-
cally promotes ADHD as a neurological disorder; routinely funds major medical confer-
ences; dominates research funding in the area of ADHD; provides financial incentives
for physicians who prescribe specific drugs, and funds groups such as Children and
Adults with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ICHADD] who openly promote
psychotropic medications in child populations (Breggin, 2001; jureidini &. Mansfield,
2001). Do we really believe that the biochemistry of the human brain is responsible for
the epidemic of ADHD in America? How is it possible that in the course of one gen-
eration, child brains have been altered to such an extent that they cannot function
properly unless they are mutated with psychotropic medications (Levine, 2004)? This is
the myth that the medical community and the pharmaceutical industry have perpetu-
ated in America and we have been willing to accept this myth without question (Breg-
gin, 2001).
In the 1950s, ADHD did not exist. In 1970, 2000 American children were diagnosed
as "hyperactive." By 2003, 6 million American children had been diagnosed with a
"brain disorder" called ADHD and the vast majority of these children have been pre-
scribed dangerous and addictive psychotropic medications in order to control their dis-
ruptive behavior (Levine, 2004). Why is this "brain disorder" not found in other cul-
tures? Why is this "brain disorder" not found in other species? Why is this "brain
disorder" not documented across history? The answer to these questions is because this
"brain disorder" does not exist (Baughman, 2004).
Forces emanating from within the exosystem that have a vested economic interest in
promoting the myth of ADHD include
1. the United States Government
2. the medical community, and
3. the pharmaceutical industry.
The Bush Administration's "New Freedom Commission on Mental Health" seeks to
have every child in America, from preschool age to 12th grade, routinely screened for fic-
titious disorders of the brain (Sharav, 2004). It is common knowledge that the pharma-
ceutical industry has contributed vast amounts of money to the Bush campaign, and that
George W. Bush is a major stockholder in Eli Lily Pharmaceutical Company. Immediate-
ly following exit polling in the 2004 presidential elections, Americans watched as phar-
maceutical stocks plummeted when it was leaked that John Kerry was winning decisively.

72 Stoker

Interestingly, when it was confirmed that Bush had succeeded in overtaking his chal-
lenger, pharmaceutical stock market indexes rose to an unprecedented high.
The economic alliance which exists between the medical community, the pharmaceu-
tical industry, and the government will continue to thrive if left unchecked. As Ameri-
cans, we must demand that this economic alliance be severed, and that authentic research
(i.e., research that is not funded by the pharmaceutical industry) is used as the "gold stan-
dard" when implementing national policies that affect American children and their fam-
ilies.

THE MACROSYSTEM

The macrosystem consists of overarching patterns that can be found in a given culture.
These patterns include ideologies, activities, world views, and belief systems which are
hypothesized by Bronfenbrenner (1989) to be the societal blueprint for a particular cul-
ture.
Macrosystemic functioning has been greatly altered over the last generation. Our
collective perceptions of childhood have changed, and what were once regarded as nor-
mal-range child behaviors are now defined as "disorders of the brain." Do millions of
American children actually suffer from unprecedented brain disorders? What could have
altered the developing brains of our children to such an extent that millions of American
children are diagnosed with "disorders of the brain" when only a generation ago this epi-
demic was unheard of?
ADHD traits may in fact be the result of millions of years of adaptation. It would
stand to reason that the most active of the species would be the genetic line that survived
throughout the course of evolutionary time (Jensen et al., 1997). ADHD traits may also
be linked to disruptions in the attachment process, which may lead to parental accept-
ance of the theory of the "neurologically disordered brain." What is certain is that chil-
dren's brains have not been altered neurologically in the course of one generation
(Baughman, 2004). Breggin (2004) has stated that perhaps we prefer the chemically al-
tered brain over the non-chemically altered brain as normal-range child behaviors do not
fit in with the frenzied world we have created for ourselves and for our children. While
physicians, pharmaceutical companies, parents, and school personnel insist that children
who display ADHD traits are neurologically abnormal, no scientific evidence exists to
support this supposition (Baughman; Breggin, 2002; Cohen, 2004).
Childhood itself has been greatly altered. It is common in 21st century America for
children to sit for hours at a computer, TV, or video game. They are continually im-
mersed in artificial light, and surrounded by four walls with no exposure to the earth or to
the sun—elements which they have been immersed in for millions of years (Wilson,
1993). Our children are largely sedentary as the "roaming" of the past has been replaced
with strict and unalterable schedules. Children are inundated with unhealthy diets as
parents are under intense pressure to climb the corporate ladder. Preservatives, dyes, an-
tibiotics, and hormones are ingested on a daily basis with no end in sight. These are
significant biocultural changes and these changes must be addressed if we are to legiti-
mately challenge the myth of ADHD.
Our collective perception of "boyhood" has also been altered dramatically. Males
across species, across cultures, and across historical time have displayed ADHD traits
(Breggin, 2001; DeGrandpre, 1999). The behavior of boys has remained constant, but
our collective perceptions of these unique and ancient male attributes have been recali-
brated in order to accommodate the medical model of development. How have we

ADHD in America 73

successfully convinced academicians, physicians, teachers, and parents across this coun-
try that what was once considered typical, normal, and desirable boy behavior is now the
result of an atypical brain?
Employing an evolutionary perspective, males were designed to be extremely active,
combative, physical, and protective in order to ensure the survival of their species (Breg-
gin, 1995). While some theoreticians may argue that environment is the sole cause of
ADHD traits, the fact remains that male-typed behaviors have been documented for
thousands of years, across diverse geographical locations, and across mammalian species.
We have lost the wisdom of our ancestors who knew unequivocally that boys and girls
were very, very different. We cannot now, nor have we ever been able to, dictate that
males will follow female developmental trajectories. It appears that we are left with two
choices; either we can reassume our historical theoretical stance which supports the no-
tion that developing males and females follow divergent developmental pathways, or we
can continue to insist that young males develop according to the criterion set forth by
their female cohorts. Since it seems highly unlikely that we will ever successfully force
young males to develop according to traditional female norms, we can expect to see more
and more of our male children diagnosed as "brain disordered," when in actuality, they
are following typical, historically documented male developmental patterns.
Bowlby (1988) hypothesized that culture was so potent a force that it could actually
override biological predispositions. For millions of years, males have been perfecting the
art of "maleness," and this "maleness" was considered to be extremely valuable to the
functioning of society. What are we to do now that these ancient and unique male traits
are currently defined as pathological? The answer is that we construct a mythical brain
disorder and use psychotropic medications to alter the structure of the male hrain so that
males will behave according to our newly acquired cultural scripts.

CONCLUSION

Bronfenbrenner (1989) postulated that an alteration within one system had the potential
to affect every level of systemic functioning. For the first time in recorded history, mod-
em-day Americans have successfully altered every one of the various systems. Parenting,
lifestyle, schooling, medicine, policy, and cultural ideologies have all been profoundly al-
tered in a relatively short time. These historical alterations unquestionably affect child
development, yet we continue to label individual children as "disordered" when the fact
is that it is the system alterations that are negatively effecting our nation's children.
By applying simplistic "band-aid" solutions such as labeling children with mythical neu-
rological disorders, we do not have to work to change those familial, societal, political, and
cultural forces which are at the root of the myth of ADHD in America. It is much easier to
buy into the myth of ADHD. By accepting this scientifically illegitimate disease, we as
American adults can continue to live exactly as we are living, deluding ourselves into be-
lieving that the problem lies within the individual child. The time has come for us to take
a collective stand and to demand change on every level. Our children are counting on us.

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Offprints. Requests for oflprints should be directed to Jeanne Stolzer, PhD, University of Nebraska,
Otto Olsen 205D, Kearney, NE 68849-2130. E-mail: stolzerjm@unk.edu

ADHD in America: A Bioecological Analysis

ADHD in America: A Bioecological Analysis

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ADHD in America: A Bioecological Analysis