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ENGL 104-504
11/01/2016
Dr. LeeAnn Rudd
Research Question: How are peoples relationships with their
siblings affected by family composition? What are their reasons
for this?
Previous studies have found that firstborn children enjoy a distinct
advantage over their later-born counterparts in terms of various factors:
parental attention, educational attainment or aim for higher achievement.
The research in this paper is an advancement to the current knowledge in
this area by studying how peoples relationships with their siblings are
affected by the composition of their family (number of siblings, gender
composition, and age groups), whether or not they are the oldest amongst
their siblings. The results of the study also demonstrate a significant
positive effect of age on an individuals perceptions on their relationship
with their siblings.
Background
Studies show that eighty-five percent of adult Americans have at least
one sibling, yet an estimated three to ten percent have completely
severed contact with a brother or sister. Experts who study family
relationships also believe that such estrangements are on the rise, and
thats todays broader cultural freedoms have made it easier for people to
escape traditions and relatives. There are many cases of adolescents
leaving their homes or showing increases in aggressive behavior, due to
weak relationships or conflict with other family members. A research,
National Evaluation of Runaway and Homeless Youth, conducted by
Westat Inc. says that an estimated forty-seven percent of runaway youth
indicated that conflict between them and a family member was a major
problem. The results of this study aims to benefit those who do not have
the best relationships with their siblings, but may not fully understand as
to why. The data from this study will allow them empathize with others
who have similar problems and see what their reasons are, and use them
to justify their own.
METHODOLOGY
To get the necessary information from the researchers chosen population,
the researcher used online surveys, consisting of quick and close-ended
questions, and held interviews with other members of this discourse
community of different age groups.
The chosen population for this study is the student population of Texas
A&M University at Qatar. This is because the people within the population
are all in one age group (17-24 years old), and this is useful for the study
as it is also investigated whether age gap between siblings affects their
relationships. The online surveys web link is distributed to the students by
means of electronic mail. The survey is kept open for responses until the
desired hundred respondents is reached. Data collection was conducted
on a 24-hour basis, by keeping the survey open, for a period of 3 days, in
order to include as much of the population as possible.
The survey asks the respondent a series of ratings (1 4) and multiplechoice questions based on their satisfaction on their positions within their
respective families, along with their reasons for their choices. The
questions are divided between three groups; only-daughters, only-sons,
and the siblings of those who are only-daughters or sons.
The application used to create the online survey was
www.surveymonkey.com. The limitations that this caused were that only
10 questions were allowed per survey, therefore the questions asked were
very limited.
Conclusion
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