Lecture 9: Political Anthropology Flashcards
What is the political
Substantial variation in power, authority, and legal systems
power =
ability to exercise one’s will over others; authority is formal, socially approved use of power
four types of political organization in relation to economy
band
tribe
chiefdom
state
band
small kin-based group among foragers
tribe
economy based on non-intensive food production
chiefdom
intermediate form between tribe and state. Differential access: favoured access to resources by superordinate’s over subordinates.
state
formal governmental structure and socioeconomic stratification
foraging bands
Modern foragers live in nation-states and an interlinked world. All foragers now trade with food producers and most contemporary hunter-gatherers rely on governments and missionaries
what do tribes typically have
horticultural or pastoral economy , organized by village life and or descent-group membeship
horticultural villages
usually small, with low population density, open access to strategic resources
position / role of village head
- Must lead by example
- Acts as mediator in disputes
- Must lead in generosity
what is the village head
local tribe leader with limited authority
Big Man
like a village head, except his authority is regional and may have influence over more than one village
what must the Big Man be
He must be generous and he serves as temporary regional regulator who can mobilize supporters
pantribal societies
groups that extend across several tribes, spanning several villages
examples pantribal societies
Central Plains of North America and tropical Africa
Plains
leadership needed to raid enemy camps and manage summer bison hunt
Pantribal sodalities
Tend to be found in areas where two or more different cultures come into regular contact. Pantribal sodalities draw members from several villages and can mobilize large numbers of men for raids
Nomad Politics
Nomads must interact with a variety of groups, unlike most sedentary societies. Powerful chiefs commonly found in nomadic groups that have large populations.
office
permanent position that must be refilled when it is vacated by death or retirement. Offices outlast individuals and offices ensure that sociopolitical organization endures across generations
chief role
Chiefs play important role in production, distribution, and consumption of resources. They collect foodstuffs as tribute (form of ‘tax’) and later redistribute collected foodstuffs at feasts (chiefly redistribution)
status systems
based on seniority of descent
status system chiefdoms
- People in a chiefdom believe to have descended from common ancestors
- The chief must demonstrate seniority of descent
- Lack of sharp gaps between elites and commoners
Stratification
differential access by social classes or strata
three dimensions of social stratification
- Economic status or wealth
- Power
- Prestige
economic status or wealth
all a person’s material assets; the basis of his or her economic status
prestige
esteem, respect, or approval; the basis of social status
power
the ability to control others; the basis of political status
state specialization
population control, judiciary, law enforcement and fiscal systems
population control
States control population through administrative subdivision: provinces, districts, ‘states’, counties, sub counties, and parishes
judiciary
States have laws based on precedent and legislative proclamations. All states have courts and judges. The law is unique in that it governs family affairs. States attempt to curb internal conflict. Presence of laws has not reduced violence
enforcement
Agents of the state mete out punishment and collect fines. Although states impose hardships, they offer advantages. Formal mechanisms designed to protect against external threats and to preserve internal order
fiscal systems
pertains to finances and taxation. States redistribute (through taxation), but generosity and sharing played down
social control
those fields of the social system (beliefs, practices, and institutions) that are most actively involved in the maintenance of any norms and regulation of any conflict
hegemony
subordinates comply by internalizing rulers’ values and accepting the ‘naturalness’ of domination
weapons of the weak
The oppressed may seem to accept their own domination, even as they question it offstage in private.
public transcript
open public interaction between superordinate’s and subordinates
hidden transcript
critique of power that goes on offstage, where the power holders can’t see it
shame and gossip
In small-scale societies, ‘informal’ control through fear, stigma, shame, and gossip. Shame can be a powerful social sanction.
efficacy of social control
depends on how clearly people envision the sanctions that an antisocial act might trigger.
Resistance is most likely expressed openly when…
people are allowed to assemble
