Paper short abstract:

This paper uses ‘kinscripts’ to explore the forms of and influential factors towards sibling relationships. Findings show that sibling relationships are variable in the process of the second child’s growing up; the large age gap, gender and family background all play a role in it.

Paper long abstract:

As of the release of the three-child policy in 2021, the sibling relationships in China have attracted intensive attention within and outside the academia. Drawing on in-depth interviews with six first kids who all have significant age difference with their younger brother, or sister, this paper uses ‘kinscripts’ as theoretical perspective to explore the forms of and influential factors towards sibling relationships in these sample families. Findings show that sibling relationships of two children families are variable with a certain degree of intimacy in the process of the second child’s growing up: when the second child is young, sibling intimacy takes the form of "child rearing", with emotional closeness mostly; when the second child goes to school, sibling intimacy increases educational relationship and decreases the emotional interaction. At the same time, the large age gap and gender make sibling intimacy manifest itself in "homogenized intimacy” and “heterogeneous intimacy”, and they also reinforce gender stereotypes when sibling interact with each other; the large age gap and family background play a role in sibling relationship, which make "child rearing" presents two different characteristics: "entertainment" and "parentalization". Sibling with large age gap does not have conflicts caused by competition for educational resources, on the contrary, the first child will be based on their own cultural capital to help the younger one.