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Of course, I mean I fought with my sisters now and then, but from what I recall we mostly got along. In movies siblings are portrayed as hating each other (of course I know most love each other deep down). This is indeed often the case in real life too, but it seems it's 'cheesy' to portray harmonious relationships between siblings, as if they're some weird religious family.
If I had to guess, I'd say that more movies portray the families getting along than not getting along. Most shows that have families fighting would be for comedy purposes such as something like "Malcom in the Middle" but even shows like that, the family members will ALWAYS stick up for eachother.
Everyone likes to laugh at the dysfunctional families on TV.. but for you to watch them and think that's how we live is crazy :P
Trimac, I have to admit from what I've seen EVERYONE in Australia OBVIOUSLY wrestles crocidiles and has a pet kangaroo ... now do you understand how it comes off when you ask these questions?
Of course, I mean I fought with my sisters now and then, but from what I recall we mostly got along. In movies siblings are portrayed as hating each other (of course I know most love each other deep down). This is indeed often the case in real life too, but it seems it's 'cheesy' to portray harmonious relationships between siblings, as if they're some weird religious family.
Why would getting along be equated with "weird religious?"
I think it all depends on your family dynamics when you were growing up. In my case, I am several years older than my siblings. However, we do stay in touch a few times a year, not to visit, but via phone, email, now Facebook. When I was a kid growing up, it was common for aunts and uncles to visit with one another for coffee..the cousins would run off and play. You do not see that happen much now a days. I think that the world is just running too fast, too many things to be involved in. Back in my day, we only had 4 TV channels, no video games, no internet. Also, sports are so much more competitive. People devote their lives to things such as soccer etc.,! I try to keep my children involved with one another and us by having w/e dinners.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by burgler09
If I had to guess, I'd say that more movies portray the families getting along than not getting along. Most shows that have families fighting would be for comedy purposes such as something like "Malcom in the Middle" but even shows like that, the family members will ALWAYS stick up for eachother.
Everyone likes to laugh at the dysfunctional families on TV.. but for you to watch them and think that's how we live is crazy :P
Trimac, I have to admit from what I've seen EVERYONE in Australia OBVIOUSLY wrestles crocidiles and has a pet kangaroo ... now do you understand how it comes off when you ask these questions?
True...my critique I suppose should be of how families are portrayed.
But I also disagree, it's de riguer to portray siblings as constantly being at war. Often, for some reason, an older sister vs a younger brother. There are countless examples.
My sister lives seven blocks away from me and i see her 1-2 times a week and talk to her on the phone or facebook 4X a week. My mom talks to most of her siblings every week. One of her siblings lives next door to her. My dad talks to his siblings once a month.
All of my friends who have siblings talk to them no less than once a month. Most talk more frequently, at least once a week. I don't know anyone who doesn't talk to/interact with their sibling less than once a month unless they have some history that keeps them apart.
If you said this about cousins? I would totally understand. I only talk to my 1st cousins a few times a year, and the more distant ones every few years (things are improving with Facebook though).
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jade408
My sister lives seven blocks away from me and i see her 1-2 times a week and talk to her on the phone or facebook 4X a week. My mom talks to most of her siblings every week. One of her siblings lives next door to her. My dad talks to his siblings once a month.
All of my friends who have siblings talk to them no less than once a month. Most talk more frequently, at least once a week. I don't know anyone who doesn't talk to/interact with their sibling less than once a month unless they have some history that keeps them apart.
If you said this about cousins? I would totally understand. I only talk to my 1st cousins a few times a year, and the more distant ones every few years (things are improving with Facebook though).
Most of my cousins live far away so obviously it would make any close relationship unlikely. Indeed there's one I haven't even met yet. I met two others for the first time on a recent trip to Singapore (mum comes from a big family).
A thought that comes to mind from a demographic/sociological view.
Seeing how folks are having children far less than they used to with the fertility rate being at replacement in much of the developed world, for the next generation, keeping in touch with siblings becomes an easier task.
Since now many people growing up have just one or two siblings or are even an only child.
Compared to generations ago, when people had like five brothers or something and one of them could go off and marry someone at the other end of the country and you'd wonder how each of his eight children are doing or whatever.
Of course that also means fewer of the old-fashioned circle of uncles and aunties and cousins too, as that circle shrinks.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stumbler.
A thought that comes to mind from a demographic/sociological view.
Seeing how folks are having children far less than they used to with the fertility rate being at replacement in much of the developed world, for the next generation, keeping in touch with siblings becomes an easier task.
Since now many people growing up have just one or two siblings or are even an only child.
Compared to generations ago, when people had like five brothers or something and one of them could go off and marry someone at the other end of the country and you'd wonder how each of his eight children are doing or whatever.
Of course that also means fewer of the old-fashioned circle of uncles and aunties and cousins too, as that circle shrinks.
My mum was one of ten...I have a lot of uncles and aunties, lol.
Ten? Wow. That's a lot!
To be fair, the de-emphasis noted on extended family in modern societies could partly be related to there just being less extended family to begin with when you have 10 siblings versus a couple of them only and a mismatch between the generations on how much of your peers is made up of family to begin with, just by presence.
A generation that grew up with say 5 sisters and 5 brothers has a "social circle" in their siblings. Ten people with different personalities and people to relate to who are both their kin and peers. They would occupy a lot more of the social environment they grew up in in terms of time/exposure. Whereas, a modern family with 1 sister and 1 brother means that a lot of the time/exposure that could have gone to hypothetically 8 siblings or something, now goes to say the peer group in schools, the playground friends, the high school cliques etc. With the rise of increased years of schooling etc. too, now you also have more time spent with schoolyard friends and less with brother and sister and uncle down on the farm or whatever.
This is true for all countries entering the modern age through the demographic transition. If you look at even western countries, like the US and Australia, you see families in the 1800s with large families, up to ten as well. They often lived with their siblings, worked with their siblings etc. and their siblings were a part of their lives.
Especially so (in the settler nations, the earliest pioneers had huge families often because they could -- there was such a surplus of land to farm and live in at least for the time when the frontier was not fully filled up.)
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