According to parenting educator Michael Grose "the way people are has nothing to do with genetics and has everything to do with the ways in which we learn to compete for paternal attention from a young age". He is the author of Why First Borns Rule the World and Last Borns want to change it. An interesting take on the birth order of siblings with regards to relationships and dynamics. It is also interesting to consider what impact this may have on interpersonal communication (my blog 2 topic).
If you have a minute to spare take a look at the video link contained in the article link http://today.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=305029 .
Do you think there is any merit with the dynamics of birth order and/or interpersonal communication. Do you find people display these tendencies when you communicate to them or have you observed these interactions? Have a look at the characteristics of first born, middle, or youngest that Michael Grose has illustrated in the link above.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Michelle
2 comments:
Hi Michelle,
Firstly, thanks for your comments on my blog, always useful to hear others opinions.
I definately agree with you that some people have the potential to lead however never follow through and make the most out of that potential and that people who you wouldn't expect to lead can often take control and prove themselves.
Interesting aspect to look at leadership within siblings. I checked out the link on your blog and found it very interesting when looking at the dynamics of birth order. I compared myself and my older brother. He was obviously the first born and I was the last born. I have no doubt that he will make more money than I will, he displays certain perfectionist qualities and definately puts a lot of prssure on himself to suceed - very much in line with Groses' ideas. I on the other hand was a massive tantrum thrower, have been the risk taker of the family for as long as I can remember and have somewhat been comfortable with failure (although that has worn off over the years!) - again very much in line with Groses' work, although I would be the worst salesman in the world so that doesn't fit! So there seems to be some merit to the dynamics of birth order!
I have found a study (which I have not read into yet) titled 'Linking birth order to political leadership: The impact of parents or sibling interaction? So I will let you know which pointof view that puts forward.
Thanks again for your comments and good luck with the rest of this unit!
Cheers
Sam
Hi Michelle,
This is fascinating stuff. I had sometimes considered birth order when I was younger, often while fighting with my younger 'attention seeking' sister. I was unaware that there was any evidence to support some of my notions.
I watched the linked video, and although the descriptions are fairly broad, I felt like it summed up the differences between me and my 'little blister' perfectly.
I have always felt that i was the one breaking down the barriers, or 'lowering the bar' in Michael Grose's terms. It always seemed that i was striving to succeed in a range of areas to satisfy my parent's expectations, while also working hard doing right by them to earn their respect. It felt that I earnt that respect (gained later curfews, and free attendance to teenage parties), while Bec was always allowed to go.
I think she is definately the bigger risk taker, and she often seems much more independent. We are also similar in a number of ways, but maybe it's birth order and possibly gender (Daddy's little girl) that explains much of our differences after all.
Great post Michelle,
Happy studying,
Dave
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