Transcript Part 7 The Search For Order: Solving The Problem Of Disorder

Politics, Power, and Violence
Lolita Nikolova
Reference:
(Haviland et al. 2005)
See also the tutorials at
http://anthro.palomar.edu/political/bands_and_tribes.htm
Chapter Outline
The genesis and early development of the
political systems – problems of the
classifications of pre-state and early state
societies
– Band, tribe and chiefdom as possible types of
the pre-state political organizations. Alternatives
of these terms and concepts
Kinds Of Political Systems
Uncentralized systems
– Bands
– Tribes
Centralized systems
– Chiefdoms
– States
Bands
Small group of politically independent, though
related, households.
The least complicated form of political
organization.
Found among nomadic societies (see also
http://anthro.palomar.edu/political/bands_and_tribes.htm)
Small, numbering at most a few hundred people.
Bands
No need for formal political systems.
Decisions are made with the participation of
adult members, with an emphasis on achieving
consensus.
Those unable to get along with others of their
group move to another group where kinship ties
give them rights of entry.
Tribes
Tribes consist of small, autonomous local
communities, which form alliances for various
purposes.
Economy based on crop cultivation or herding.
Population densities generally exceed 1 person
per square mile.
Leadership among tribes is informal.
Chiefdoms
The chief is at the head of a ranked hierarchy of
people.
The office of the chief is usually for life and often
hereditary.
The chief’s authority serves to unite his people in
all affairs and at all times.
Highly unstable as lesser chiefs try to take power
from higher ranking chiefs.
State
The most formal of political organizations.
Political power is centralized in a government,
which may use force to regulate the affairs of its
citizens and its relations with other states.
Since their first appearance 5,000 years ago,
states have shown a tendency toward instability
and transience.
1.
The term _______________ refers to the
way power, or the ability to control others’
behavior, is distributed or embedded in society.
a.
social structure
b.
political control
c.
political organization
d.
authoritarianism
e.
dictatorship
The term political organization refers to the way
_______________, or the ability to control others’
behavior, is/are distributed or embedded in society.
a.
resources
b.
wealth
c.
taxes
d.
power
e.
favors
3.
An egalitarian, autonomous group composed of
related people who occupy a single region is called
a/an
a.
government.
b.
form of political organization.
c.
band.
d.
tribe.
e.
state.
6.
The form of social organization typical of
hunter-gatherers is the _______________, whereas
horticulture and pastoralism are usually associated
with the form of social organization called the
_______________.
a.
tribe/chiefdom
b.
tribe/state
c.
tribe/band
d.
band/chiefdom
e.
band/tribe
6.
A _______________ is a form of political
organization in which a larger group is broken up
into clans, which are divided into lineages.
a.
descent group
b.
common-interest association
c.
segmentary lineage system
d.
clan
e.
state
Segmentary Lineage Organization
6.
A _______________ is a ranked society in
which every member has a position in the hierarchy,
and an individual’s status is determined by
membership in a descent group.
a.
band
b.
tribe
c.
chiefdom
d.
state
e.
kindred
Political Leadership and Gender
Women have enjoyed political equality with men in
a number of societies:
Iroquoian tribes of New York State - men held
office at the pleasure of women, who appointed
them and could remove them.
Igbo of Nigeria - women held positions that
paralleled and balanced that of the men.
Internalized Controls
Self-imposed by individuals.
Rely on such deterrents as shame, fear of divine
punishment, and magical retaliation.
Although bands and tribes rely heavily upon
them, they are generally insufficient by
themselves.
Externalized Controls
Mix cultural and social control.
Positive sanctions reward appropriate behavior.
Negative sanctions punish behavior.
Functions of Law
Defines relationships among a society’s
members and behavior under different
circumstances.
Allocates authority to employ coercion to enforce
sanctions.
Redefines social relations and aids its own
efficient operation by ensuring it allows change.
Settling Disputes
A dispute may be settled in two ways:
1. Negotiation - the parties to the dispute reach
an agreement with or without the help of a
third party.
2. Adjudication - An authorized third party
issues a binding decision.