Only Child Experience and Adulthood Book

by on January 30, 2010

Only Child Experience and Adulthood by Dr Bernice Sorensen

Only-Child Experience & Adulthood

Published by Palgrave 2008

For insight into only-children – a must 

Bernice Sorensen has conducted research into the only-child experience in adulthood. Her research was conducted through interviews with adult only children at various stages, and also emails to her only-child website. As an only-child I found the book enlightening. A significant aspect of being an only-child, is that your childhood is experienced in isolation. As an adult there are no siblings who have witnessed what you have experienced; and only a minority of people you contact would understand this experience. For this reason I found the book refreshing, as only-child adults from around the world had the opportunity to contribute to the research via Sorensen’s website. As a result of reading other ‘onlies’ experiences I found I am not unusual, but quite normal for an only-child…..

Captured my experience totally: As an Only Child myself I was interested to see what Dr. Sorensen had come up with in her research. Although her initial research was with Female Adult Onlies it crossed the gender barrier. I identified with most of the material in the book and was very moved by many of the stories. After reading the book I went into her website onlychild.org.uk and felt at last someone is speaking about what it is like to grow up an only child. This is destined to become a seminal book on the subject of adult only children.

article from The Times,20.02.2012 | – HelpMeHelpMyChild

Dr Bernice Sorensen, a psychotherapist with a special interest in only children and author of Only-Child Experience and Adulthood, is an only child herself. “When a child does not have chances to relate to other, younger 

the ep diary: EP Research: 11/06/12

I have been making use of Google Scholar and have come across another potential book of interest Only Child Experience and Adulthoodby Dr Bernice Sorensen.

Topic Ideas « Cultural History of Late 20th Century China

Brandy Nelson’s One Child Policy: The Human Rights Abuses and Unintended Consequences and Bernice Sorensen’s Only-Child Experience and Adulthood will both give great insight on the effects of the family planning 

Overview of the book

This book presents accounts of the experience of growing up without siblings across the world. These stories offer a range of only-child voices which speak of the challenges and differences only-children face throughout their lives.

The stories were collected through interviews and this website and they give witness to the lives of adult onlies. The complexity and multidimensional nature of the private, personal and public worlds of the only-child are discussed from a social and psychological perspective.

The book also offers important insights for people in the helping professions working with child and adult only-children. Above all the book demonstrates the importance of witnessing and existential validation for only-children whilst providing understanding to help guide parents and partners of only-children.

CONTENTS:
Introduction

PART ONE: TRANSCENDING THE STEREOTYPES
The Politics of the Only Child
The Research Framework
Co-Researchers’ Stories
Only-Child Voices

PART TWO: A MULTIPLICITY OF VOICES
Research Data and the World Wide Web
Stories from China and Taiwan
Life-Stories Life-Stages

PART THREE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THERAPY
An Only-Child Archetype: A Folk-Tale
The Only-Child Matrix
Gathering the Threads

Details
•    Hardcover: 256 pages
•    Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (27 Feb 2008)
•    Language English
•    ISBN-10: 0230521010
•    ISBN-13: 978-0230521018
•    Product Dimensions: 21.6 x 14 x 1.8 cm
•    Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars