Cultural Anthropology
Chapter Seven
Political Systems
Lecture Outline Two
III. Types of Political Organization
1. Band
Examples of Band level society:
• San (Ju/’hoansi,
!Kung) of Kalahari
• Inuit of Arctic Circle
• foragers who travel in small bilateral kindred
groups
with exogamous marriage patterns to maximize contacts
A. Subsistence pattern = typically
foragers
• Somewhat nomadic
-Regular seasonal path as exploit
plants or game
-Groups often break apart and regroup seasonally
• Carry possessions
-Limits material belongings
• Small population size
• Low population density
• Very small communities
B. Social Stratification and Economic patterns
• Egalitarian
- All in an age-sex category have equal
access to prestige & resources.
• Typically no private property
- No ownership of land
- Share all resources.
• Organized by kinship
- Bilateral kindred
- Exogamous
• Distribution mostly through reciprocity
• No full time specialists
C. Political organization is informal
• Lowest degree of political
integration (decentralized)
- Various bands = independent,
autonomous units
• Political life is an integrated part of social
life
• Informal decision-making,
made by consensus of members
- Decision agreed upon by whole group
or
- Group accepts decision made by the
best-qualified member
• Headman status achieved through community recognition
of his skills, good sense, humility
- Role informal
- Authority limited
• Conflict resolution by direct negotiation
- Decisions made by consensus of
members
- Group decisions enforced by scorn, gossip, ridicule, ostracism,
mediation
Examples of Tribe level society:
• Nuer - organized through kinship
groups (lineage system)
• Cheyenne - organized through association groups (military
societies)
• Kapauku of West New Guinea - organized through Big Men
• Example: Nuer
• Similar to band in some ways, but differ in
potential
for temporary integration of local band-like groups into a larger whole.
A. Subsistence pattern = typically
horticulture or pastoralism
• More sedentary
• Population higher/more dense
• Small communities
B. Social Stratification and Economic patterns
• Egalitarian nature similar to
band
• Organized by kinship and descent
• Distribution mostly through reciprocity
• No full time specialists
C. Political organization is informal
• As situations arise that call for inter-group cooperation of
some kind, pan-tribal group/associations act to integrate a number of
local groups into a larger unit.
• No centralized government
(decentralized)
• Political life is an integrated part of social life
• No individuals with coercive authority
• The organizing unit may be based
on:
- Kinship and descent lines
- Age Grades
- Common Interest Associations
- Organizer of redistribution event (Big Man)
• Leadership is temporary, informal
- No full time political
specialists
- Is based on varying attributes depending on need/organizing unit
* Kinship, age, respect,
integrity, aggressiveness, wisdom, etc.
- Personal traits of leadership = wisdom, intelligence, integrity,
concern for welfare of others
• Advise is sought
- there is no formal means of
coercion
- can induce members to abide by group decisions through
internalized means
* Gossip, criticism, belief that
disease is caused by antisocial actions.
Examples of Tribe level society:
• Polynesian societies of South
Pacific including Fiji,
Hawaii,
Tahiti
• Kpelle of Liberia
• Some formal structure (council or chief) which
unifies
or integrates multi-community political units.
A. Subsistence pattern= Horticulture,
pastoralism, agriculture
• Sedentary
• More sophisticated technology; some surpluses
• Population higher
• Population more dense
• Large (and smaller) communities
• Communities more permanent
B. Social Stratification and Economic patterns
• Rank society
- unequal access to status,
position and prestige (sometimes wealth).
- each member has a position in the hierarchy.
- rank based on kinship and descent (relation to chief)
- Some part-time political specialists
• Organized by kinship and descent
• Distribution through reciprocity and redistribution
- Increased economic productivity
• Some part-time /full-time
specialists
C. Political organization
• More centralized government
- several political
units, each with own chief, may be unified under paramount chief
• Political life is an integrated
part of social life
• Chief has more
centralized, somewhat coercive authority
• Leadership under chief(s)
- Generally accumulates and
redistributes resources
- Organizes labor
- Directs military activities
- Supervises religious festivals and may acquire religious
status
• Position is sometimes hereditary and generally more or less
permanent
• Chief and family/followers may have more access to prestige
& resources
• Chief has somewhat coercive authority, but typically does not
have compelling power
- often followed because respected and
has religious justification of actions
4. State
Examples of State level societies
• Swazi of Swaziland in Southeast
Africa
• Aztecs and Maya of Meso-America.
• Political power is centralized in a government
that can
legitimately use force to regulate internal and external affairs.
A. Subsistence pattern = Intensive
agriculture with high productivity
• Vast surpluses of goods and
services
• Large, sedentary populations, dense in some areas
• Emergence of permanent cities
B. Social Stratification and Economic patterns
• Stratified societies
- Class/Caste societies in which
groups have unequal access to power, prestige and economic resources
• Distribution through Market exchange, redistribution and
reciprocity.
• Extensive specialization
• Foreign trade
C. Political organization
• Complex centralized political
structure
- relatively permanent institutions
with legislative, executive, and judicial functions and a
bureaucracy
• Based on residence & citizenship rather than kinship
• State has power to
- collect taxes
- draft men for work or war
- decree and enforce laws
• State has monopoly on use of force and physical coercion
- can use legitimate force to implement
policies externally & internally
• Ideology: citizens accept state’s legitimate right to
govern
1. Every society must ensure that most
of the people behave themselves in appropriate ways most of the time.
• Social Norms
- normal, proper, or expected ways of
behaving.
• Deviance
- violation of social norms
• Sanctions
- institutionalized ways of
encouraging people to conform to the norms
* positive sanctions
* negative sanctions
2. Informal Social Control
• Socialization
• Public opinion
• Corporate lineages
• Supernatural belief systems
• Age organizations
3. Formal Social Control
• Verbal competition
• Intermediaries
• Councils of elders
• Oaths
• Ordeals
• Formal court systems
• Warfare