phrase
Pecking Order
A hierarchy in any group โ who dominates whom.
Origin
Coined in 1921 by Norwegian zoologist Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe, who as a teenager observed that chickens establish a stable dominance hierarchy enforced by pecking. The term was extended to other social animals and then to human institutions.
Modern usage
Standard in workplace, family, and political analysis. 'Knowing the pecking order' is a tacit but recognized social skill.
Tags
hierarchy
dominance