FAVOURITISM IN THE FAMILY

Abstract

In this thesis, we draw attention to a relatively untapped area of research in the field of sociology, that is, the study of favouritism in the family. This thesis would attempt to analyse favouritism within Chinese families in Singapore. Two main aspects of favouritism would be examined. Firstly, this thesis looks at the nature of favouritism. How does the phenomena, favouritism, manifests itself? Are there patterns to this phenomena? If so, what kind of patterns exists? Behind all these complexities, it would attempt to reveal the orderliness underlying favouritism in the family. It would uncover and spell out the patterns permeating this social phenomenon. Secondly, it would attempt to identify and explicate the factors influencing favouritism. Based on the first-hand accounts provided by the respondents, a sociological explanation on what motivated the parents to favour one child over the rest would be explicated for each factor given. As the factors influencing favouritism are varied and rests on a wide array of spectrum, a categorisation of the factors would also be provided. Overall, this thesis attempts to uncover the workings of parental favouritism in the family and hopefully, it has added some new insights into this relatively untapped area of research!