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Politics, Power, and Violence

Learn about the diverse forms of political systems - from bands and tribes to chiefdoms and states. Understand power dynamics, social structures, and the evolution of governance in human societies. Dive into the genesis of political organizations and the significance of decentralized vs. centralized systems.

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Politics, Power, and Violence

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  1. Lolita Nikolova Reference: (Haviland et al. 2005) See also the tutorials at http://anthro.palomar.edu/political/bands_and_tribes.htm Politics, Power, and Violence

  2. 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

  3. Kinds Of Political Systems • Uncentralized systems • Bands • Tribes • Centralized systems • Chiefdoms • States

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. 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.

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. Segmentary Lineage Organization

  15. 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

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. Externalized Controls • Mix cultural and social control. • Positive sanctions reward appropriate behavior. • Negative sanctions punish behavior.

  19. 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.

  20. Settling Disputes • A dispute may be settled in two ways: • Negotiation - the parties to the dispute reach an agreement with or without the help of a third party. • Adjudication - An authorized third party issues a binding decision.

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