Introduction
Character is a concept that is often discussed along with questioning its origins, reasons and consequences. No one is absolutely sure where a person’s individuality comes from, but there has been much evidence that shows how a person is affected within a family unit, in particular if there are several siblings.
A person’s character, the behavior and attitude are based on an interaction of many factors that manifest themselves through family, private and social interaction. People have little control over the genetic information they receive from parents and other relatives, nonetheless, they play an important part in a formation of individuality.
Hypothesis
Social, as well as communication within the family all have a significant influence on the person’s character and are deeply tied in with the order of child’s birth in a family.
Literature Review
Primarily, there are personal and biological factors. Genetic information is the first characteristic that comes in contact with the external world through inner impulses and memory. The outside environment is what causes a response and change in the person’s brain. It has been established that the surrounding conditions greatly shape the way a person behaves and thinks.
Developmental psychology has explained that when children are being raised, every detail matters. If they receive a specific amount of love, the type of people they spend time with and the sort of situations they find themselves in, are all factors that shape individuality. Even before there is any social influence, all children who are born in the family receive unique and personal genetic information.
The genes play a role in the way a person is, but the environment adds a much greater amount of information and external stimuli that shape and form individuality. It is still unclear why people like certain things and prefer specific colors or odors. The only possible explanation is that the amount of times they were presented with a unique situation or quality determines how much they become used to this sort of stimuli.
The greater the amount of times someone smelled roses, the more they will like it. But, at the same time, the opposite might be true, as constant repetition might lead to a development of an immune response that will avoid the smell or a situation. Also, it has been proven that a person’s individuality might change if there are physical changes in the brain (Hughes, 2011).
Main Point One
Even a seemingly minor difference in gender will be affected by the birth order. For example, if a female is born first, the parents will have greater experience in behaving a particular way with a girl. Even though social norms demand equality of genders, women are socialized somewhat different than men. A male who is born after the female, will have inclinations to be more mature, manly and take on the male role.
Not only does the brain manifests and makes visible the genetic information that has been passed down through generations, it also records new understanding and stores it. This process is called memorization and there are specific cells that are responsible for the process. When some new information is received by the senses, the mind registers it and stores for future use, as it might become crucial in some situation.
The brain also separates the information that is beneficial or could have a negative consequence (Hughes, 2011). Later, the outcomes that led to positive result are seeked out and repeated while those that were negative are avoided. This can be seen in the punishment and reward or a child and other siblings. This is the specific process of how a person learns about physical and mental pain.
The associations that are made are memorized and stored, to be later passed on to the next generation. In a similar way, individual personality is formed, as well as the way someone looks. The amount of details that influences the person and future generations is so enormous that it is almost impossible to figure out. Genetics set up the stage in the main differences that every child born after the other will have towards the others.
The second major influence is the family as a unit. They have been around since the beginning of human history. The people who are closest, who brought new life into the world form a system of relationships that are mutually supportive. Family is what people depended on in the past, the cooperation and unity. They lived together, worked and were the first people who would offer help in case of need.
The more friendly, healthy and close a family is, the more they can achieve, because with a shared goal they become more productive and directed, as everyone contributes to the matter. One of the reasons family is very important, is that it takes great part in the upbringing of the young.
Parents and sometimes brothers and sisters, grandparents and grand grandparents all contribute to the socialization of a child who is learning how the world functions. Sometimes extended family such as, cousins and half-brothers, as well as step-brothers and sisters have a great influence on the new individual. The greater the amount of relatives is, the more uncontrollable is the influence on a child.
For example, a first child could get the attention of all cousins and grandparents, while the second child born several years later might be deprived of that attention. All people have their own lives and it might become impossible to contribute as much time to the second child.
This would change the environment and the amount of information. Also the support or individual character connections could be lessened, as the child will have fewer relatives to find common interests with. Everyone involved makes-up a small and unique world for each other and has many effects on an individual (Berk, 2009).
When there are two children in a family, there are positive and negative sides to the upbringing. Their interaction is based on a somewhat different experience, where as comparing to parents, they are more of an authority figure. Also, the fact that parents are preoccupied with the daily routines, jobs and the raising of a child creates a different behavior pattern towards the child.
Their childhood has ended some time ago and a lot of time they have been focused on adult activities. As such, an older child might either acquire the role of a helper or supporter of the new child. If they were raised as a confident individual, they will not feel threatened by the new addition to the family, thus becoming responsible. The negative influence will be based on jealousy, if a much greater amount of attention is paid to the new born.
Sometimes, parents feel preoccupied with the latest child and want to spoil them. Also, they feel they do not pay enough attention to them, which backfires and turns into too much attention. When there are three and more children, the picture changes even greater.
At each stage of transition, a child experiences a larger family, where each individual functions as a necessary part of the family unit. When there are more siblings, people have a higher sense of responsibility, as the need for resources constantly rises. This makes the family closer and adds to the interaction (Le Poire, 2006).
Main Point Two
Personal qualities and individual growth until the new child is born is another factor that relates to the development of a person. One possible way a child could learn and understand behavior is in an older setting, and the first child is the one who gets all the attention of adults. The child will see the interaction between parents and try to adjust accordingly.
A quick reflection with a parent will make the adjustment to own doubts and peers in school and friends much faster and more hands-on. Egoism, self-knowledge, education are all important when looking at the birth order. There are very many common variables, but each individual is unique in the end. Mimicking others is one of the links in an enormous chain of individuality that makes each person up.
It is very true that proximity of individuals heightens the sensitive nature of interaction within the human world. It is clear that people are very much connected to the family, relatives, and friends so; they gain great knowledge and illustration of what these people want in their life.
For example, a younger child will watch the older child and would want to mimic the behavior. Often, siblings develop a deep connection and feel their brothers and sisters are their role models. As such, each individual develops own family and personal status, which makes them play a specific role (Le Poire, 2006).
Popular culture in relation to the age and order of birth is another factor that greatly affects the person. The media and information changes from year to year. The development of social networks and the use of internet have made communication between individuals a form of social status.
The bombardment of proper image and styles reach every corner of the world, changing people accordingly. The younger generation takes extreme care at the way their facebook page looks; they pay great attention to the amount of pictures they post, number of responses that they receive to posts and comments about their status. The need to go out and do things became not needed.
The person is now consumed in the virtual world where they are the center and the actor. The status created through the numbers of “thumbs up” or friend requests are things that represent a person and not their personal qualities. Also, it is very time consuming, so people are too preoccupied with their internet reputation. The media also demands a more “flashy” look, which is centered on higher than usual resources and popularity.
Peer influence is much greater in the present world, as previously, most people had similar possessions and positions in society. The industrial and communication age have changed everything, giving rise to the generation characterized by the later births and faster pace of life.
In a modern busy world, the common way to express emotion is to put pre-set “smiles” or banal phrases used by a great number of people, leaving little place to family affection.
The life of people is an interconnected network where each individual is influenced by someone else. Sometimes, these influences are characteristic of a whole society and people are forced and pressured to do things they do not want to. In some instances, the pressure is indirect and by mere observation people feel that they have no choice but to conform to the majority, so that they do not stand out from the population.
The people most affected by peer pressure are the younger generation, as they are very impressible and will learn from the actions of others. Another perspective is that peer pressure is wrong because people who are less confident will repeat the actions and mistakes of others, thus depriving themselves of their individuality and freedom of choice.
The first type happens for the benefit and is positive while the second is detrimental and based on the lack of confidence in an individual. A brother or sister will also add stress to the family. Parents will either provide the necessary tools for themselves and their children to manage stress or they will not be able to do so.
It is said that one of the most important qualities is the ability to control own emotions and realize what is best for a person. People must be aware of their internal processes and be confident in who they are, which will prove resourceful at a time of need.
Self awareness is instrumental to the way a person behaves and thinks and if they know what specific situations and stimuli to avoid, an individual will be able to control themselves and their environment. Being assertive at a time of need is another criterion that one must follow.
Emotional and mental self defense and direct action must be used when dealing with encountering a family problem because being able to reach a resolution is definitive at a critical time. Another quality that a person must have is the understanding of others and the reasons for their behavior.
Even though it is sometimes hard to comprehend why someone acted in a certain way, an individual must place themselves in the other person’s conditions and realize why someone acted in as they did.
Everyone has a responsibility towards the society and has a duty of controlling own stress levels and the response that might be unwanted by others. Being able to adjust to the circumstances and conditions of the environment is a skill that is necessary and must be learned. This greatly depends on the cooperation and communication between parents and siblings.
Main Point Three
Greater culture, social norms, religion and traditions all add to the person’s individuality, which makes them different and unique in comparison to other family members. Religion and general beliefs are concepts that relate to time that a person is raised and develops in. The traditions of time dictate acceptable norms and instill specific values in a person.
History plays a significant role in the way people view the world today, and many laws, as well as social norms and schemes are linked to the past and other cultures. This is connected with individuality and true reasons for such behavior. For example, the history of patriarchy goes far back, as some archaeological evidence suggests and has existed for thousands of years.
It is unclear how this sort of social division started but one thing is for sure, most of societies globally, had patriarchal order. The older generation will have certain predispositions and thus, might conflict with the younger siblings. A lot depends on the age difference and the views of parents.
The norms that are socially acceptable also change and even presently, there are places in the world that are much conservative (Rogers, 2013). A child born in a specific setting or culture could then travel to a different nation and would have to adjust to the new life. But, if there is another sibling born in the new culture, they will have a much easier environment to develop in.
This will naturally create friction and stress. For as long as there has been human civilization, there has been a division between people according to their status, both within a family and the greater society. This led to a social class separation where one part of the population struggles, another has all the luxuries and the rest are in the middle.
People are separated according to the amount of money they make, their education and the ability to generate resources. This can be seen in children who grow up and enter the world with a specific world view. But most importantly, personal confidence, understanding of the surrounding environment and the relationship with relatives, all originate in the interaction and its quality within a family.
Grandparents and other relatives, as well as the amount of time they spend with their children and grandchildren, play a great role in the difference between family members. Every generation bases itself on the knowledge and experiences of relatives, creating new characteristics for the future kin.
A family is a system where people are mutually supportive, as society has no particular interest in individual needs or wants of a person. Family is what people depended on in the past, its cooperation and unity. The more friendly, healthy and close a family was, the more they could achieve because with a shared goal, people become more productive and directed, as everyone contributes to the matter.
This was very true in the earlier days, as people were involved in farming and families had to have many children to develop and prosper. Not so long ago, the upbringing of the young was the center goal of the family. Parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents and grand grandparents must all contribute to the socialization of a child who is learning how the world functions.
Sometimes extended family such as, cousins and half-brothers, as well as step-brothers and sisters have a great influence on a new individual. Everyone involved makes up a small and unique world for each other and has many effects on an individual, especially the time they were born and the relatives they came in contact with.
The modern society has changed, as individualism became predominant. Unfortunately, industrialization, technology and advancements of social communication and opinions have distanced individuals and families.
It is evident that the birth order and the further development of a person are influenced by a never-ending amount of factors.
The human mind is so sensitive to all the information that is internal and external that it would be close to impossible to pinpoint the changing stages and specific stimuli that made someone the way they are. But it is definite that the birth order is inseparably connected with the family, individual and the greater society.
References
Berk, L. (2009). Child Development. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Custom Publishing.
Hughes, M. (2011). Emotional Intelligence in Action. San Fransisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
Le Poire, B. (2006). Family Communication: Nurturing and Control in a Changing World. London, United Kingdom: SAGE.
Rogers, A. (2013). Human behavior in the social environment. New York, NY: Routledge.