Dinamika Anak Tengah dan Pemaknaan Middle Child Syndrome dalam Keluarga di Desa Sayang Jatinangor

Abstract

Family, in anthropological studies, is understood as a social institution where roles, values, and identities are constructed through everyday interactions. In this context, birth order is often associated with psychological approaches, particularly the concept of middle child syndrome, yet studies that examine it within socio-cultural family dynamics remain limited. This study aims to analyze how birth order shapes the position, roles, and experiences of middle children within family relations in Desa Sayang, Jatinangor. This research employs a qualitative method with an ethnographic approach, involving five middle children aged 14–25 years from families with three children, as well as seven family members as supporting informants selected using a snowball sampling technique. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and participant observation, and analyzed thematically through stages of data selection based on the research focus, coding, categorization into themes, and interpretation to identify patterns of experiences and relational dynamics within the family. The findings reveal that the position of middle children is not solely determined by biological birth order, but is constructed through the negotiation of roles, communication patterns, and the distribution of attention in everyday family life. In this process, middle children develop adaptive strategies by positioning themselves as relational balancers within the family. Although some experiences resemble characteristics commonly associated with the middle child syndrome, such as feeling less prioritized, these experiences are better understood as part of the social dynamics of family relationships rather than as an independent psychological condition. This study concludes that birth order functions as a relational structure embedded in socio-cultural family practices, which contextually shapes the identity and experiences of middle children.