Were you Born to Rebel?
1.
One of the most famous scientists of the 19th century, Charles Darwin proposed
the Theory of Evolution and many people applauded this revolutionary concept. But not
all were pleased. There were many other groups of people who were shocked because
this theory contradicted traditional religious beliefs. The question arises: "Why do some
people come up with untraditional ideas while the ideas of others remain conventional?"
Or, in other words, ‘What makes one person a rebel and another a reactionary?' The
answer, according to Frank Sulloway, a science historian at The Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), is simple: "family structure" or birth order.
2.
But in the same family, there are individuals who are often no more similar in
personality than people from different families. Why, within the same family, do some
children do the accepted thing, whereas others rebel? The family, it turns out, is not a
"shared environment" but rather a set of niches that provide siblings with different
outlooks.
3.
Sulloway spent two decades gathering data on thousands of people who caused
social change. He concluded that these rebels had one thing in common: their place in
the family. In his book, Born to Rebel, he suggests that the oldest son or daughter is the
one who will be traditional in attitudes and behavior (similar to the family’s attitudes)
while the younger siblings will be the revolutionaries. Darwin was among the youngest
in his family, and that was what encouraged him to explore new ideas.
4.
Sulloway, who himself is a younger member of his family, claims the key to social
behavior is the amount of support the child gets from his parents. The oldest child
traditionally holds a special place in the family. In some societies, only the firstborn
inherits property. There is also the simple fact that the first child receives 100% of his or
her parents' attention before other siblings arrive. He or she is brought up as an only
child for a significant period of his/her life.
5.
These differences in upbringing create children with different attitudes: the eldest
tends to support his/her parents' views because they had special treatment. The
youngest in the family, on the other hand, become experts at adaptation. These are the
children who have probably had to get used to a variety of caretakers, including older
siblings and
babysitters who all had their own attitudes. Since other people often
surround them, Sulloway claims, these children are more outgoing. They have the
added advantage of learning from the mistakes of the older child who must often be the
pioneer at school, in the army, work and marriage.
6.
Sulloway's findings offer conclusive evidence that the family, with its powerful
interpersonal dynamics, resembles a boiling kettle, a cauldron, for great revolutionary
advances that result in historical changes. In addition to psychological research,
Sulloway studied examples from history. He compiled biographies on over 6,500
famous people to determine whether or not their "openness to experience" was
influenced by their place in the family. Sulloway reports that the primary engine driving
history is located within families. He claims that he found a clear pattern reflecting his
theories.
7.
This landmark work researches crucial influence that family niches have on
personality. It also documents the profound consequences of sibling competition not
only on individual development within the family, but also on society. Born to Rebel's
insights promise to revolutionize the nature of psychological, sociological, and historical
inquiry. His claims may be bold and oversimplified. They are not popular with social
scientists. However, they do offer food for thought.
Bibliography/Works Cited: Born to Rebel: Birth Order, Family Dynamics, and
Creative Lives, by Frank J. Sulloway. http://www.sulloway.org/Birth_Order(SalmonOxford-2007).pdf
Were You Born to Rebel? - Comprehension Questions
1.
Complete the following sentences using one word in each blank.
The article presents a contradiction between people who are ____________ (ONE
word) and others who are ______________ (ONE word). The reason for the
differences between the two is __________________ (TWO words).
2.
Paragraphs 2-3
a. How does Salloway define the family?
It is _________________________________________________________
b. What point of view does “Born to Rebel” develop?
____________________________________________________________
3. The fact that Darwin was a younger sibling in his family is related to his being a rebel.
True / False
Quote from the text to support your answer.
___________________________________________________________________
4. According to Sulloway, what determines a person's social behavior?
___________________________________________________________________
5. Which “differences in upbringing” (Para. 5 Line 1) is the author referring to?
a.____________________________________________________________
b.____________________________________________________________
c.____________________________________________________________
6.
Paragraph 5
The eldest and the youngest siblings are not similar.
Put a check (v) next to the TWO correct sentences.
___a. Older siblings are usually more outgoing than younger siblings.
___b. Parents' full attention to the eldest make these children support their parents'
views.
___c. Older children are usually exposed to a greater variety of caretakers than their
younger siblings.
___d. The youngest siblings have more adaptation problems than the older ones.
___e. Younger siblings benefit from the experience that their older siblings have.
7. Circle the correct choice.
Sulloway's findings show that the achievements of famous people were / were not
affected by their place in the family. He found / didn't find a connection between the
place in the family and revolutionary developments.
8. Social scientists do not accept Sulloway's theory because
a. It presents the family as a set of niches.
b. it offers food for thought.
c. It is both progressive and too simple.
d. it shows the effects of sibling competition.
9. The purpose of the article is to show that
a. Darwin was a revolutionary because he was one of the youngest in his family.
b. The child’s place in the family is connected to being a rebel or reactionary.
c. Sulloway wrote his revolutionary book because he was a younger member of his
family.
d. The oldest sibling tends to be revolutionary while younger siblings tend to be
traditional
Were You Born to Rebel?
Find the words which mean the same as:
Paragraph 1
a.)
b.)
c.)
d.)
e.)
f.)
offered a suggestion – `
creative idea
–
denied, refuted –
accepted –
a person who refuses to accepta person opposing social progress –
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
Paragraph2.
brothers and sisters –
______________
Paragraph 3.
a) a period of 10 years –
b) information c) gave hope-
_______________
_______________
_______________
Paragraph 4.
a) receive property –
b) important –
________________
________________
Paragraph 5
.
a) to be likely to –
b) opinions –
c) friendly and pleasant –
d) the first person to begin something -
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
Paragraph 6.
a)
b)
c)
d)
to be like –
collect and arrange( in a book) –
first in importance –
a way in which something happens -
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________