Political OrganizationPolitical Organization

Social differentiationSocial differentiation

Individuals may have different access Individuals may have different access to resources, power, and prestigeto resources, power, and prestige• EgalitarianEgalitarian• RankRank• StratifiedStratified

Social differentiationSocial differentiation

Individuals may have different access Individuals may have different access to resources, power, and prestigeto resources, power, and prestige

• Egalitarian SocietiesEgalitarian Societies No one is denied access to resourcesNo one is denied access to resources No one has power over othersNo one has power over others Social positions not limited -many eldersSocial positions not limited -many elders See individual differences, not powerSee individual differences, not power Use generalized or balanced reciprocityUse generalized or balanced reciprocity Associated with tribes or bandsAssociated with tribes or bands

Social differentiationSocial differentiation

Individuals may have different access Individuals may have different access to resources, power, and prestigeto resources, power, and prestige

• Rank SocietiesRank Societies Formal differences between those with Formal differences between those with

power, prestige and those withoutpower, prestige and those without Everyone has access to basic resourcesEveryone has access to basic resources Use redistribution and balanced reciprocity Use redistribution and balanced reciprocity

based on horticulture and pastoralismbased on horticulture and pastoralism Associated with chiefdomsAssociated with chiefdoms

Social differentiationSocial differentiation

Individuals may have different access Individuals may have different access to resources, power, and prestigeto resources, power, and prestige

• Stratified SocietiesStratified Societies Formal and permanent social and Formal and permanent social and

economic inequalityeconomic inequality Some individual and groups denied access Some individual and groups denied access

to basic resourcesto basic resources Market economy based on agriculture and Market economy based on agriculture and

industrialismindustrialism Associated with complex state level Associated with complex state level

political organizationpolitical organization

Power and Social ControlPower and Social Control

Ascribed status – based on birthAscribed status – based on birth Achieved status – based on individual Achieved status – based on individual

accomplishmentaccomplishment

Power and Social ControlPower and Social Control

Power – the ability to make people Power – the ability to make people take actions they might not prefertake actions they might not prefer

Based on control of resourcesBased on control of resources

Authority – ability to persuade others Authority – ability to persuade others to take actions based on to take actions based on characteristics such as honor, status, characteristics such as honor, status, knowledge, ability, respectknowledge, ability, respect

Power and Social ControlPower and Social Control

Political Ideology – the shared values Political Ideology – the shared values and beliefs that legitimize and beliefs that legitimize distribution and uses of power and distribution and uses of power and authorityauthority• When few in society accept ideology, When few in society accept ideology,

more reliance on power and coercionmore reliance on power and coercion

Power and Social ControlPower and Social Control

Political processes – how groups and Political processes – how groups and individuals use power and authority individuals use power and authority to achieve public goalsto achieve public goals• How power changes handsHow power changes hands• How new political organization developsHow new political organization develops

Leadership – the ability direct an Leadership – the ability direct an enterprise or actionenterprise or action

Power and Social ControlPower and Social Control

Factions – informal alliances within Factions – informal alliances within political units such as lineage, political units such as lineage, village, or political partyvillage, or political party

Power and Social ControlPower and Social Control

Rebellion – attempt of one group to Rebellion – attempt of one group to change access to resources within an change access to resources within an existing political structureexisting political structure

Revolution – attempt to overthrow Revolution – attempt to overthrow existing political structure and existing political structure and replace with another structurereplace with another structure

Power and Social ControlPower and Social Control

LawLaw• Society likes conformity to norms and Society likes conformity to norms and

valuesvalues• How to deal with non-normative behaviorHow to deal with non-normative behavior

Shame, accusations of witchcraft, avoidance, Shame, accusations of witchcraft, avoidance, supernatural sanctions (sin to Santa Claus)supernatural sanctions (sin to Santa Claus)

Law – when social norm is important enough to Law – when social norm is important enough to be enforced through punishmentbe enforced through punishment

Types of Political OrganizationTypes of Political Organization

Political Organization – ways power is Political Organization – ways power is used in society to regulate behaviorused in society to regulate behavior

Political organization is related to Political organization is related to social complexity – number of social complexity – number of

groups and their interrelationgroups and their interrelation• BandsBands egalitarianegalitarian

• TribesTribes egalitarianegalitarian

• ChiefdomsChiefdoms rankrank

• States States stratifiedstratified

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization Band SocietiesBand Societies

Band – small group of nuclear families Band – small group of nuclear families associated with a territory where they forageassociated with a territory where they forage

Generalized or balanced reciprocityGeneralized or balanced reciprocity Minimal role specialization, differences of Minimal role specialization, differences of

wealth, prestige, powerwealth, prestige, power Exogamous marriage – to bond with othersExogamous marriage – to bond with others Bilateral kinship – many bondsBilateral kinship – many bonds Flexible membershipFlexible membership

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization Band SocietiesBand Societies

Leadership Leadership • No formal leadershipNo formal leadership• Leaders are elders with knowledgeLeaders are elders with knowledge• Decision by consensusDecision by consensus

Social control and conflict resolutionSocial control and conflict resolution• Controlled informally by gossip, ridicule, avoidanceControlled informally by gossip, ridicule, avoidance• Bands do not engage in warfare, usually retreatBands do not engage in warfare, usually retreat• Bands not free of conflict or violence, to resolve Bands not free of conflict or violence, to resolve

interpersonal conflict before it spreads to group interpersonal conflict before it spreads to group individuals may leave group, or have song contest individuals may leave group, or have song contest

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization Tribal SocietiesTribal Societies

Tribe – a people who think of themselves as Tribe – a people who think of themselves as descended from the same ancestor or as part descended from the same ancestor or as part of the same peopleof the same people

Reciprocity and redistribution, also marketReciprocity and redistribution, also market Egalitarian like bandsEgalitarian like bands Unilineal kin groups that own resourcesUnilineal kin groups that own resources Horticultural and pastoral Horticultural and pastoral

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization Tribal SocietiesTribal Societies

Political integrationPolitical integration• Age set or age grade – group of people of similar Age set or age grade – group of people of similar

age and sex who move through life stages togetherage and sex who move through life stages together• Secret societiesSecret societies• Segmentary lineage system – many descent groups Segmentary lineage system – many descent groups

form at different levelsform at different levels• Complementary opposition – higher order units of Complementary opposition – higher order units of

segmentary lineage form alliances and emerge segmentary lineage form alliances and emerge when lower order units come into conflictwhen lower order units come into conflict

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization Tribal SocietiesTribal Societies

LeadershipLeadership• Leaders, but no centralized government Leaders, but no centralized government • Leaders for different jobs, Cheyenne war and peaceLeaders for different jobs, Cheyenne war and peace• Bigman of New Guinea, leader who gains power Bigman of New Guinea, leader who gains power

and authority through personal acheivementsand authority through personal acheivements Social Control and Conflict ResolutionSocial Control and Conflict Resolution

• Informal and formalInformal and formal• Cheyenne police during summer Buffalo HuntCheyenne police during summer Buffalo Hunt• Nuer Leopard Skin Chief mediatorNuer Leopard Skin Chief mediator• New Guinea payment of compensationNew Guinea payment of compensation

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization Tribal SocietiesTribal Societies

High Degree of WarfareHigh Degree of Warfare• Regulate balance between population and resourcesRegulate balance between population and resources• Ecologocal: Populations grows, need more land for Ecologocal: Populations grows, need more land for

horticulturehorticulture• Patrilineal, patrilocal societies make more use of war Patrilineal, patrilocal societies make more use of war

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization ChiefdomsChiefdoms

Chiefdom – a society with social ranking Chiefdom – a society with social ranking politically integrated by the chiefpolitically integrated by the chief

Made up of parts that are structurally different Made up of parts that are structurally different like villageslike villages

Common in cultivating and pastoralist societies Common in cultivating and pastoralist societies where food is plentifulwhere food is plentiful

Tribute paid to Chief, then goods and services Tribute paid to Chief, then goods and services redistributedredistributed

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization ChiefdomsChiefdoms

LeadershipLeadership• Chief is centralized government, chiefdom inheritedChief is centralized government, chiefdom inherited• Ranked society, some lineages are higher statusRanked society, some lineages are higher status

Social Control and Conflict ResolutionSocial Control and Conflict Resolution• Lower internal violence than tribes because chief can Lower internal violence than tribes because chief can

judge, punish, and resolve disputesjudge, punish, and resolve disputes• Maintained through fear and respect of chiefMaintained through fear and respect of chief

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization State SocietiesState Societies

State – a hierarchical, centralized government State – a hierarchical, centralized government has legal monopoly over the use of forcehas legal monopoly over the use of force

Rely on citizenship over kinshipRely on citizenship over kinship Arise because of ecology, integration or conflictArise because of ecology, integration or conflict

• Ecology – limited land, high population, losers of Ecology – limited land, high population, losers of conflict subordinate to winnersconflict subordinate to winners

• Integration – benefits of stability, protection, trade, Integration – benefits of stability, protection, trade, defensedefense

• Conflict – protecting power and privileges of eliteConflict – protecting power and privileges of elite

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization State SocietiesState Societies

Centralized GovernmentCentralized Government• An interrelated set of status roles separate from An interrelated set of status roles separate from

social organization such as kinshipsocial organization such as kinship• Concerned with making and enforcing public policyConcerned with making and enforcing public policy• Intervenes in economic processIntervenes in economic process

Taxes, controls laborTaxes, controls labor Encourages long distance trade, Regulate exchange and Encourages long distance trade, Regulate exchange and

distribution, keeping peace, safe traveldistribution, keeping peace, safe travel

• Military functionsMilitary functions• Rise of CitiesRise of Cities

Recordkeeping leads to writing, cities develop with science, Recordkeeping leads to writing, cities develop with science, art, architecture, philosophy specializationart, architecture, philosophy specialization

Types of Political Organization Types of Political Organization State SocietiesState Societies

Social stratificationSocial stratification• Intensive agriculture supports cities, specializationIntensive agriculture supports cities, specialization• Elite has control of central governmentElite has control of central government

Hegemony-construction of values and beliefs that attempt to Hegemony-construction of values and beliefs that attempt to justify stratification systemjustify stratification system

• Keep public in control enough to ward off rebellion Keep public in control enough to ward off rebellion and revolution as threats to elite authorityand revolution as threats to elite authority

Anthro contribution non-adversarial Anthro contribution non-adversarial dispute resolutiondispute resolution