Birth order: Difference between revisions
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The '''birth order''' of an individual is defined as the rank of that individual among his or her [[sibling]]s, where older (earlier-born) siblings are ranked higher. | The '''birth order''' of an individual is defined as the rank of that individual among his or her [[sibling]]s, where older (earlier-born) siblings are ranked higher. | ||
Note that since the rank is defined as oldest first, the birth of future siblings does not affect a given individual's birth order. Thus, an individual's birth order is determined at birth. | |||
===Possible complications in the definition=== | ===Possible complications in the definition=== | ||
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* Birth parents versus adoptive parents | * Birth parents versus adoptive parents | ||
* Twins or other forms of [[multiple birth]]s | * Twins or other forms of [[multiple birth]]s | ||
* Some siblings dying before or after the birth of others | |||
==Related notions== | |||
* [[Birth spacing]] | |||
==Particular cases== | |||
{| class="sortable" border="1" | |||
! Birth order !! Common language jargon | |||
|- | |||
| 1 || first child, oldest child | |||
|- | |||
| 2 || second child, second oldest child | |||
|- | |||
| 3 || third child, third oldest child | |||
|} | |||
==Significance== | |||
Birth order is a useful tool to break down existing data on fertility to obtain a more complete picture of fertility. Thus, for instance, rather than reporting the [[age-specific fertility rate]] and [[total fertility rate]] for ''all'' births, we can report these values specifically at different [[birth order]]s. This allows us to estimate and account for the [[tempo effect]] and compute a [[tempo-adjusted total fertility rate]]. | |||
Latest revision as of 02:54, 1 December 2013
This article describes a measure that can be evaluated for a particular individual person, household, or family. It is not a statistical aggregate, though it may be statistically aggregated to provide average measures and distributions.
The measure is a lifetime constant, i.e., it does not vary with time.
The measure is not subjective, as the measurement of its value is not based on people's beliefs, opinions, and/or values. Note that the actual value itself is influenced by people's decisions, and hence by their subjective preferences, but the measurement of these values is not.
Definition
The birth order of an individual is defined as the rank of that individual among his or her siblings, where older (earlier-born) siblings are ranked higher.
Note that since the rank is defined as oldest first, the birth of future siblings does not affect a given individual's birth order. Thus, an individual's birth order is determined at birth.
Possible complications in the definition
Complications arise from:
- Half-siblings
- Birth parents versus adoptive parents
- Twins or other forms of multiple births
- Some siblings dying before or after the birth of others
Related notions
Particular cases
| Birth order | Common language jargon |
|---|---|
| 1 | first child, oldest child |
| 2 | second child, second oldest child |
| 3 | third child, third oldest child |
Significance
Birth order is a useful tool to break down existing data on fertility to obtain a more complete picture of fertility. Thus, for instance, rather than reporting the age-specific fertility rate and total fertility rate for all births, we can report these values specifically at different birth orders. This allows us to estimate and account for the tempo effect and compute a tempo-adjusted total fertility rate.