Towards the social analysis of twinship

The article examines the proposition that twinship is an irreducibly social phenomenon. Gender, age, birth order, socio‐economic status and other variables are considered, along with the role of different patterns of socialization as these affect twinship. It is argued that, to a very large extent, from conception, through gestation, childbirth and subsequently childhood and adolescence, the social processing and regulation of social members take place in unitary terms and that therefore twins (and higher multiples) are an anomaly in relation to such processes. Twins' reactions to stigma, stereotyping and labelling are explored as an integral aspect of the social structuring of twinship. The role of the twin, as distinct from the role of the non‐twin, is examined in the context of cultural expectations of twinship regarding similarity of identity and similarity of behaviour. Subsequent or concurrent processes of differentiation between twins are also examined. The article concludes with suggestions for further analyses of twinship.