Bird Position

[goekhan]

Hi, I am trying to understand a book about multicultiralism. I have dificulty understanding 'bird position' in the following sentences. "Traditionally,

the Asian family is characterized by a rigid system of hierarchical roles based on age, bird position, and gender"


If anyone can help me, ı would be so glad.

Thanks in advanced

Gökhan

[Route21]

As an NES but not a teacher, I've never come across the term "bird position" but I believe what may well be meant by it would be "pecking order".
See:
Pecking order - encyclopedia article about Pecking order.

Regards
R21

[Barb_D]

I think it's a typo for "birth position" - which is itself not a very natural phrase. "Birth order" would work.

[BobK]

That typo sounds quite likely in an Asian context.

b

[Route21]

In Thailand there is a very distinct "pecking order". Respect for age is very important here.

When two women meet, if it's not immediately apparent, one of the first things they establish is their relative ages. From then on, the (even marginally) younger woman addresses the older woman with the title "Pee" and the younger one is addressed with the title "Nong".
Much older ladies (grandmothers etc) are addressed as "Yai".

The terms are used much more frequently than the English "Mr/Mrs/Ms" and are used with their "nickname" rather than any of their birth names.

It's similar with older/younger brothers/sisters and other relatives.
There's also different terms for members of the patriarchal side of the family vs the matriarchal side.

Regards
R21

[goekhan]

thanks a lot for your replies.

best regard from Turkey

[BobK]

...

It's similar with older/younger brothers/sisters and other relatives.
There's also different terms for members of the patriarchal side of the family vs the matriarchal side.

...

I wonder how that would work with twins. My middle brother is 20 minutes older than his twin (my oldest sister).

b

[Route21]

I wonder how that would work with twins. My middle brother is 20 minutes older than his twin (my oldest sister).
b

In the UK, if the first-born children of the reigning monarch were twins, who would be the heir apparent?
As they say in Thailand, "same same but different"!

Regards
R21

[Tdol]

The first to pop out.