Family and Human Studies (FHS) 1500: Lifespan Human Development

Essay

Question
COOPERATION VS. COMPETITION: Based on your knowledge of American culture and
child development, respond to BOTH of the following sets of questions:
Is competition over-emphasized in American Society? Why? What are the advantages of such a
competitive attitude? What are the disadvantages?
Identify situations that you have observed in which competition has actually interfered with
people achieving a goal. Is competition emphasized in children? What recommendations would
you make to parents regarding their child's participation in competitive events (like sports,
academic competitions, etc.)?

Answer

Competition is a large part of American Society and always has been. The foundation of
capitalism, the economic structure of the United States, is competition. The strive to achieve the
American Dream is rooted in competition. In American society, a person is often more respected
due to their status, which comes from what they do for a living, how good they are at it, and of
course, how much money they make. Americans in society are constantly surrounded by the
need to be the best at what you do, make the most money, be the most successful, etcetera.
A healthy example of competition is the desire to be better than someone else at your job.
It can increase your productivity, your ability to complete tasks, and even increase your skill in
the field. In a workplace environment, competition may result in an employer seeing you as more
of an asset and often job promotions and raises. In sports, the desire to be better than not only the
opponent, but even your teammate, can be motivating. It makes one work harder and test their
limits more than they would otherwise. In school, seeing a friend have a 4.0 GPA may motivate
them to do better in school because they want to be on the same level as their friend.
Competition helps people grow. During middle childhood, children will compare themselves to
others, a term known as social comparison, “Ideally, social comparison helps school-aged
children value themselves for who they are” (Berger, 2019, pg. 278). Children at this age explore
where their interests and skills are. Social comparison leads to competition, which helps children
find out what they are good at and what they like to do and even improve their skills in that area.
On the other hand, it can be harmful to relationships when a person is constantly trying to
be better than others. A competitive state of mind can make people feel that, even if they are
good at what they are doing, they are not good enough. If you are constantly comparing yourself
to someone that is better than you at something, you may feel that the skill you do have is
insignificant. This mindset can make someone quit something they excelled at for the sole reason
someone else excelled a more than they did. “Children’s self-concept becomes influenced by
others, even by other children they do not know” (Berger, 2019, pg. 278). Children being
sensitive to the judgment of others, competition can be harmful to their self-esteem if they are
not very skilled in a certain area. For example, if children are playing a game of soccer and Josh
is not as good as Kevin, Josh may feel judged by the other children and give up playing the game
all together.
Competition adds unnecessary pressure to games, sports, or activities that are supposed to
be fun. In my own life, I have seen the negative effects of over-emphasizing competition.
Throughout my childhood I was a dancer. I started when I was young and enjoyed it for years.
Eventually, my focus shifted from being on myself and how I expressed myself through dance,
to being better than the other girls I danced with. While it made me a better dancer than I would
have been if I did not feel the need to push myself and work harder to be the best, it took the fun
out of dance. It changed from being something I did because I loved it, to being a chore. I put so
much pressure on myself to be better than girls who were simply more skilled than I was. I felt
like a failure when I was not better than them, and I eventually quit dancing all together.
In children, competition is also emphasized. It is part of child culture. Children want to be
the best at games or activities, often to gain approval from their peers. Everyone wants to be
liked, and children are no exception. A child can gain approval from peers by excelling in, say
basketball, and this approval leads to others befriending the child. Making friends is a
competition in and of itself, especially for a child, whether they realize it or not. "Children of all
genders, ethnic groups, religions, and families think they are better than children of other
groups” (Berger, 2019, pg. 298). Children naturally have a competitive nature, and by already
thinking they are better than someone else, they will be ambitious when it comes to proving it.

Reference

Berger, K. S. (2019). Invitation to the life span (4th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers