Politics, Power, and Politics, Power, and ViolenceViolence

Part IPart I

Politics, Power and Violence:Politics, Power and Violence:

Every society must have means by Every society must have means by which conflicts can be resolved and which conflicts can be resolved and breakdown of the social order breakdown of the social order prevented. prevented.

Complex political structures known Complex political structures known as states first began to emerge over as states first began to emerge over 5,000 years ago. 5,000 years ago. – Commonly unstable, many have Commonly unstable, many have

disappeared in the course of history, disappeared in the course of history, some temporarily and others forever.some temporarily and others forever.

Politics, Power and Violence:Politics, Power and Violence:

Societies still exist where political Societies still exist where political organization is based on informal organization is based on informal kinship systems whose leaders lack kinship systems whose leaders lack real power.real power.– Power: the ability of individuals or Power: the ability of individuals or

groups to impose their will upon others groups to impose their will upon others and make them do things even against and make them do things even against their own wants or wishes.their own wants or wishes.

Kinds of Political Systems:Kinds of Political Systems:

Political organization: the way power Political organization: the way power is distributed and embedded in is distributed and embedded in society; the means through which a society; the means through which a society creates and maintains social society creates and maintains social order. order.

Anthropologists have simplified this Anthropologists have simplified this complex subject by identifying four complex subject by identifying four basic kinds of political systems: basic kinds of political systems: – bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and statesbands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states

Kinds Of Political SystemsKinds Of Political Systems

Uncentralized systemsUncentralized systems– BandsBands– TribesTribes

Centralized systemsCentralized systems– ChiefdomsChiefdoms– StatesStates

Types Of Political Types Of Political Organization: MembershipOrganization: Membership

MembershipMembership Number of peopleNumber of people Settlement patternSettlement pattern

BandBand Dozens and upDozens and up MobileMobile

TribeTribe Hundreds and upHundreds and upMobile or fixed: 1 Mobile or fixed: 1 or more villagesor more villages

ChiefdomChiefdom Thousands and upThousands and upFixed: 1 or more Fixed: 1 or more

villagesvillages

StateStateTens of thousands Tens of thousands

and upand upFixed: Many Fixed: Many

villages and citiesvillages and cities

Types Of Political Organization: Types Of Political Organization: MembershipMembership

MembershipMembershipBasis of Basis of

relationshipsrelationshipsEthnicities and Ethnicities and

languageslanguages

BandBand KinKin 11

TribeTribeKin, descent Kin, descent

groupsgroups11

ChiefdomChiefdomKin, rank and Kin, rank and

residenceresidence11

StateStateClass and Class and residenceresidence

1 or more1 or more

Types Of Political Types Of Political Organization: GovernmentOrganization: Government

MembershipMembershipDecision making, Decision making,

leadershipleadershipBureaucracyBureaucracy

BandBand ““Egalitarian”Egalitarian” None None

TribeTribe““Egalitarian” or Egalitarian” or

Big-ManBig-ManNoneNone

ChiefdomChiefdomCentralized, Centralized, hereditaryhereditary

None, or 1 or 2 None, or 1 or 2 levelslevels

StateState CentralizedCentralized Many levelsMany levels

Types Of Political Types Of Political Organization: GovernmentOrganization: Government

MembershipMembership Conflict resolutionConflict resolutionHierarchy of Hierarchy of settlementsettlement

BandBand InformalInformal No No

TribeTribe InformalInformal No No

ChiefdomChiefdom CentralizedCentralizedNo Paramount No Paramount village or head village or head

towntown

StateState Laws, judgesLaws, judges CapitalCapital

Types Of Political Types Of Political Organization: EconomyOrganization: Economy

MembershipMembershipDivision of laborDivision of labor

ExchangesExchangesExchangesExchanges

BandBand NoNo ReciprocalReciprocal

TribeTribe NoNo ReciprocalReciprocal

ChiefdomChiefdom No -> YesNo -> YesRedistributive Redistributive

(“tribute”)(“tribute”)

StateState YesYesRedistributive Redistributive

(“taxes”)(“taxes”)

Types Of Political Types Of Political Organization: SocietyOrganization: Society

MembershipMembership StratifiedStratified SlaverySlavery

BandBand NoNo NoNo

TribeTribe NoNo NoNo

ChiefdomChiefdomYes, ranked by Yes, ranked by

kinkinSome small-scaleSome small-scale

StateStateYes, by class Yes, by class

or casteor casteSome large-scaleSome large-scale

Types Of Political Types Of Political Organization: SocietyOrganization: Society

MembershipMembershipLuxury goods Luxury goods

for elitefor eliteIndigenous literacyIndigenous literacy

BandBand NoNo NoNo

TribeTribe NoNo NoNo

ChiefdomChiefdom YesYes No ->SomeNo ->Some

StateState YesYes OftenOften

Uncentralized Political Uncentralized Political Systems:Systems:

Marriage and kinship have formed their Marriage and kinship have formed their principal means of social organization.principal means of social organization.

Leaders do not have real power to force Leaders do not have real power to force compliance with the society’s customs or compliance with the society’s customs or rules. rules.

Since power in the kin-ordered communities Since power in the kin-ordered communities is shared, with nobody exercising exclusive is shared, with nobody exercising exclusive control over collective resources or public control over collective resources or public affairs, individuals typically enjoy much affairs, individuals typically enjoy much more freedom than those who form part of more freedom than those who form part of larger and more complex political systems.larger and more complex political systems.

BandsBands

Band: a relatively small and loosely Band: a relatively small and loosely organized kin-ordered group that organized kin-ordered group that inhabits a specific territory and that inhabits a specific territory and that may split periodically into smaller may split periodically into smaller extended family groups that are extended family groups that are politically independent The least politically independent The least complicated form of political complicated form of political organization.organization.– Found among nomadic societies.Found among nomadic societies.– Small, numbering at most a few hundred Small, numbering at most a few hundred

people.people.

BandsBands

Are kin groups, composed of men Are kin groups, composed of men and/or women who are related (or and/or women who are related (or are assumed to be) with their are assumed to be) with their spouses and unmarried children.spouses and unmarried children.

The band is probably the oldest form The band is probably the oldest form of political organization.of political organization.

BandsBands

No need for formal political systems.No need for formal political systems. Conflicts that arise among bands are Conflicts that arise among bands are

usually settled informally through usually settled informally through gossip, ridicule, direct negotiation, or gossip, ridicule, direct negotiation, or mediation. mediation.

Individuals become leaders by virtue Individuals become leaders by virtue of their abilities to serve in that of their abilities to serve in that capacity only as long as they retain capacity only as long as they retain the confidence of the community. the confidence of the community.

Ju/’hoansiJu/’hoansi

Public scolding or open expression of Public scolding or open expression of irritation may escalate into serious anger irritation may escalate into serious anger and lead to splits that jeopardize and lead to splits that jeopardize everyone’s security. everyone’s security.

Through gossip people accomplish Through gossip people accomplish several objectives while avoiding the several objectives while avoiding the potential disruption of open potential disruption of open confrontation. confrontation.

Another technique in small-scale societies Another technique in small-scale societies for resolving disputes, or even avoiding for resolving disputes, or even avoiding them in the first place, is mobility. them in the first place, is mobility.

TribesTribes

Tribe: in anthropology, refers to a range Tribe: in anthropology, refers to a range of kin-ordered groups that are politically of kin-ordered groups that are politically integrated by some unifying factor and integrated by some unifying factor and whose members share a common whose members share a common ancestry, identity, culture, language and ancestry, identity, culture, language and territory. territory. – This term is problematic because it has many This term is problematic because it has many

meanings. meanings.

TribesTribes

In these larger political entities, people In these larger political entities, people sacrifice a degree of household sacrifice a degree of household autonomy in return for greater security autonomy in return for greater security against such perils as enemy attacks or against such perils as enemy attacks or starvation. starvation. – Typically a tribe has an economy based on

some form of crop cultivation or herding. – While band population densities are usually While band population densities are usually

less than one person per square mile, tribal less than one person per square mile, tribal population densities generally exceed that population densities generally exceed that and may be as high as 250 per square mile.and may be as high as 250 per square mile.

TribesTribes

Each tribe consists of one of more Each tribe consists of one of more self-supporting and self-governing self-supporting and self-governing local communities that may then local communities that may then form alliances with others for various form alliances with others for various purposes. purposes.

In many tribal societies the In many tribal societies the organizing unit and seat of political organizing unit and seat of political authority is the clan, comprised of authority is the clan, comprised of people who consider themselves people who consider themselves descended from a common ancestry. descended from a common ancestry.

Navajo Indians Navajo Indians

A local leader was a A local leader was a man respected for man respected for his age, integrity, his age, integrity, and wisdom.and wisdom.

Shown here is a Shown here is a meeting of the Navajo meeting of the Navajo Tribal Council, a Tribal Council, a nontraditional nontraditional governing body governing body created in response to created in response to requirements set by requirements set by the U.S. government the U.S. government in order for the in order for the Navajo to exercise Navajo to exercise national sovereignty.national sovereignty.

The Big ManThe Big Man

This Big Man from New This Big Man from New Guinea is wearing his Guinea is wearing his official regalia.official regalia.– His authority is personal; he His authority is personal; he

does not come to office in does not come to office in any formal sense, nor is he any formal sense, nor is he elected.elected.

– His status is the result of His status is the result of acts that raise him above acts that raise him above most other tribe members most other tribe members and attract to him a number and attract to him a number of loyal followers. of loyal followers.

Political Integration Beyond Kin Political Integration Beyond Kin Group:Group:

Age sets, age grades, and common-Age sets, age grades, and common-interest groups are among the interest groups are among the mechanisms used by tribal societies as mechanisms used by tribal societies as means of political integration. means of political integration.

Cutting across territorial and kin Cutting across territorial and kin groupings, these organizations link groupings, these organizations link members from different lineages and members from different lineages and clans. clans.

Another system of political integration Another system of political integration found among tribes in many parts of the found among tribes in many parts of the world is the common-interest association. world is the common-interest association.

QuestionQuestion

Bands and tribes are bothBands and tribes are bothA.A. centralized.centralized.

B.B. associated with industrialism.associated with industrialism.

C.C. dependent on age groups for political dependent on age groups for political organization.organization.

D.D. uncentralized and egalitarian.uncentralized and egalitarian.

E.E. hierarchical in social organization.hierarchical in social organization.

Answer: DAnswer: D

Bands and tribes are both Bands and tribes are both uncentralized and egalitarianuncentralized and egalitarian..

QuestionQuestion

In the band, disputes are settled In the band, disputes are settled informally through ___________informally through ___________

A.A. gossip.gossip.

B.B. ridicule.ridicule.

C.C. direct negotiation.direct negotiation.

D.D. mediation.mediation.

E.E. all of these choicesall of these choices

Answer: EAnswer: E

In the band, disputes are settled In the band, disputes are settled informally through informally through gossipgossip, , ridiculeridicule, , direct negotiation direct negotiation andand mediationmediation..

QuestionQuestion

The form of social organization typical of The form of social organization typical of hunter-gatherers is the _________, whereas hunter-gatherers is the _________, whereas horticulture and pastoralism are usually horticulture and pastoralism are usually associated with the form of social associated with the form of social organization called the _________.organization called the _________.

A.A. tribe/chiefdomtribe/chiefdom

B.B. tribe/statetribe/state

C.C. tribe/bandtribe/band

D.D. band/chiefdomband/chiefdom

E.E. band/tribeband/tribe

Answer: EAnswer: E

The form of social organization The form of social organization typical of hunter-gatherers is the typical of hunter-gatherers is the bandband, whereas horticulture and , whereas horticulture and pastoralism are usually associated pastoralism are usually associated with the form of social organization with the form of social organization called the called the tribetribe..