birth order Essay -- essays research papers

Birth Order   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One long controversy among behavioral scientist is the existence of a sibling position effect. Birth order research and theories can be criticized because of differences between parents, sibling positions of the parents, size of families, socioeconomic status, and culture. The conclusions drawn from research studies on sibling position are also often contradictory. However for some reason children with certain birth order roles grow into adolescents and adults with similar qualities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to understand the sibling positions in a certain family the family system must be understood, since elements of structure in family systems form the context in which sibling positions develop. The family environment includes membership units, interaction patterns, boundaries, rules, roles, and alliances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The desires, hopes, and dreams of the parents are carried by the first child. Everything the child does is being done by the first time in the eyes of the new parents. The landmarks of the first smile, tooth, steps, word, first day of school, graduation are all met with overjoyed responses from parents, grandparents, and other relatives. In most families, the responses from this large family audience are more exaggerated than they will be for any subsequent child. The first children are assigned functional roles as they enter the family system, which include: the job assignment, interpersonal responsibilities, and social interactions. (Hoopes & Harper, 1987). Parents believe that the extended family and their environment watch what the first child does to determine what they are like as a family. Therefore, the main message that first children receive is that they are on display and that the family focus is outward. Leading children to believe that they are the ce ntral focus and their actions have consequences beyond them. First children have a sense that their behavior and words are weighed by others and then adopt external validation to evaluate themselves. Despite the family’s high expectations for all of their children, the performance of the first child is emphasized more than any other child will be. For interacting this way first-born children learn that their job assignment is to produce outcomes that meet with the family’s approval. First children may wo... ...y exhibit marked independence or extreme independence. Since the child has been reared alone in an adult world, the only child is very often extremely anxious to please others, especially parents and other adults. The only child has a youth period, which is free of the puzzling problem of sibling rivalry. This makes the only child extremely confident with is comes to completing task well and receiving the approval of others as well as very critical of themselves. (Falbo, 1984). Placement in the family has a lot to do with a person’s way of thinking and relating. While many other factors help shape a child’s personality first-borns do things faster then other siblings and approach like more seriously. Second-born children tend to be more laid back in achievement since the parents are less available. Third-born children have many privileges and gains considerable social skills because of interactions with older siblings. While only children, in their own category, are self-confident and have a great sense of responsibility. Birth order, like every other factor in the development of the child, can and will differ from the norm for individual children. Each child is absolutely unique.