Personality Factors Family as the Most Important Factor

10 behaviors. Personality is dynamic continually exist over time and situation. Phares states that pattern of characteristics throughout feelings and behaviors that persist over time and situations and that distinguish one person from another 1984:673

a. Personality Factors

The personality can be influenced by some factors. Horney 1990: 450 says that there are two important factors in shaping human personality, namely: environmental and social factors. She adds that the most important point of these two factors is human relationship in which the child grows up. Horton and Hunts say that the factors are hereditary, physical environment, and culture 1980: 114. Hurlock says that the physical condition is also important in influencing one’s personality. The child will accept their body depends on how significant people see it 1974 : 536. Pikunas also claims that personality is influenced by hereditary influence and environmental influence. The hereditary influence concerns biological molecules. Environmental influences include physical environment, family, peers as models, and education for life, and community Pikunas, 1969: 54. In this study, the writer only discusses the influence of family on one’s personality.

b. Family as the Most Important Factor

As the smallest unit of society, family has a contribution in shaping children’s personality. Robinson in his theory says that personality is ruled largely by the attributes at the family, especially the way the parents behave towards their children Sue, 1986:93. In that statement, it can be clearly understood that parents 11 take the biggest part in shaping their children’s personality. Children take a look at how their parents behave in daily life. They will consider an event as a positive thing if their parents give a positive response in it. Sullivan says that if parents behave that the children are worthwhile, they will develop good self-image and self-worth but if their parents do not see them their children as worthwhile persons, they will cause the negative self-image development 1986-93:94. Family plays the important roles for the children development. Children will understand who they are and their roles in social life for the first time in family. The smallest unit of society is a family with a father, a mother and children in it. Children receive their first training in their home; Kaalish states that parents and other significant figures probably have the greatest influence of values and attitudes because the parents have the authority in estimating child’s attitudes 1975:55. Parents are models for the children, whether consciously or unconsciously, they will copy the models. The children live with parents, so they internalize the parents’ values such education, religion, humanism, and work. It will be easier for children to adapt to the family and the closest people value, which he interacts, rather than other people. It cannot be denied that a family is the main factor of one’s personality. It is as the starting point for shaping one’s personality. The first environment where a child learns to socialize is his family. He learns about social relationship and values through his family. In a family, the child sees the relation between him and his parents and how they socialize in the small community. Children will be introduced to some values in the society, and they will learn from watching their 12 parents how to get proper in the society, or the smaller unit, community Light, 1989: 124. Parents are instructor s, educators, advisors, supervisors and facilitator s and role models Parker and O’Neil, 1997: 32-39. Parents give the order and information to the children as the instructor s. They give rules for their children for their own good. Parents give knowledge about all of the things around them as an educator, they give not only intellectual things, but also give moral teachings for the children. This is done to make the children understand the environment around besides the family. As the advisors, the parents give advices for what is happening and what will happen for the children to be able to come into appropriate way that leads the children, and for the best solution. Parents will keep their eyes on the children: keep the children away from destructive and irresponsible behavior when they act as supervisors. Parents’ role is needed for children development. The y facilitate the children by sending them to school and giving them toys to play. As the role models, the parents place themselves as models for the children to imitate. Mother is a primary and a major nurturing figure for a child, particularly a small child. “A mother is an expert in child -rearing technique” Lidz, 1968: 58. A mother’s behavior effects the child’s development very much, for example when mother gives advice about the problem rather than solves the problem, the child will feel that his mother is a good friend to share his problems. It is the role of an advisor. 13 The emotional condition and social development of a child are influenced by the mother’s attitude. If a young mother has happy memories of her childhood and feels good about the way in which she is connected to her parents and siblings and they are to her, she will look for ways to recreate that experience in her own family. She may model the upbringing pattern of her mother. Parents have big contribution toward their children. This is because the children first social environment is the home where they live. Family and parents will determine the first attitude toward others and social activities. Positive or negative development that the children have depends on what the parents to do to them. That is why the parents must play their role in proportional manner in order to get the best result of their children’s personality. Crow and Crow mention that a child’s behavior is influenced not only by the family attitude toward the treatme nt of himself but also the attitude displayed by the various member of the family toward one, another, their behavior at home, and the relationships to person and things outside home 1983: 167 . Grandparents also play an important role in shaping one’s personality. The influences of grandparents depend on how long they live and what roles they play in one family. The longer they live, the greater the influences they bring toward their grandchildren Hurlock, 1974: 505.

B. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK