[LMB] Single children (Was China)

[Laura Gallagher]

Robin wrote, on why males growing up in China's one-child policy will
have problems
> > My theory is: very male, very unused to sharing (no siblings, so no
> > sense of "brotherhood,")

Rachel asked
> Do you think this is true of all single children, or only Chinese boys?
> There are quite a few single children in the Vorsorkigan books (Miles, Ivan, Gregor, Elena)? Are they exemplars of this?

I think the issue will be far more evident in a society of only-child
families than in examples of only-child families in a mixed society.

In China, you have a pre-existing heavy focus on the son, further
focussed because a baby boy will be the ONLY focus of two parents,
four grandparents, possibly up to 8 great-grandparents (or however
many are still alive).  There's a lot of potential, I think, for
insufferably spoiled boys.

Laura Gallagher