How is seniority determined among cousins in an extended Italian family?
Does the oldest male of that generation have seniority?
Or, does seniority defer to the oldest son of the oldest uncle regardless of his birth order?
Or, is seniority determined some other way?
In my grandfather's family, the "president" of the family was a cousin who was the oldest son of the oldest uncle, even though he was a little younger than the oldest cousin (whose father was the second oldest uncle). This "senior" cousin happened to be the best educated and most active in social, cultural, and political activities. I don't know if that's why he leap-frogged over the older cousin, or because he was considered senior he assumed the role. I suspect he earned it.
