module 9 – political and leadership structures and economic institutions

Pre-test: True or False – Write True if the said statement is true, and write False if the statement is false, on a
one-half cross-wised sheet of yellow pad paper.

1. A political organization is any entity that is participating in a political process.

2. Tribes is the least complex form of political organization, as it has neither a rigid form of governance
nor a structured form of leadership. A band typically consists of 20 – 50 individuals who are usually
related to one another by virtue of kinship.
3. A nation is a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture or language, inhabiting a
particular country or territory.
4. Legal rights are those that are expected to be enjoyed by all individuals, regardless of citizenship.
5. Legal authority is achieved by a leader through the process of following established codes and
procedures governing the allocation and distribution of power and resources within a society.
6. Charismatic authority is a form of leadership legitimacy that highlights the right of a leader to rule based
on inheritance of the title.
7. Natural rights are those that are awarded to an individual by state as part of its culture, traditions and
norms.
8. Barter is the most common form of reciprocity, as this process included the exchange of commodities
between individuals.
9. Market is referred to as the exchange of goods and services that involves buying and selling process.
However, it is not a simple process of exchanging materials, goods, and services.
10. During ancient times, people lived in the simplest way by being highly dependent on their environment.
Hunting for animals and gathering wild plants were their most common activities.
11. Horticulture is the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of
crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.
12. Chiefdoms is embodied its characteristics that include a political leader with an advisory council, a
leader who exercises power that is based on legitimacy, and the existence of social stratification.
13. Redistribution is when resources from one individual or organization are given to another with no
expectation of return.
14. Market involves all the human actions associated with economic aspects.
15. The state serves as the institution that protects and maintains economic balance through its economic
laws and policies.
 module 9 – political and leadership structures and economic institutions
Lesson 1 – Political Organization

A political organization is any entity that is participating in a political process.

Elman Service (1962), a political anthropologist, identified four types of sociopolitical organizations. He
argued that these political organizations function in consideration of their economic orientation.

1. Bands – is the least complex form of political organization, as it has neither a rigid form of
governance nor a structured form of leadership. A band typically consists of 20 – 50
individuals who are usually related to one another by virtue of kinship.
2. Tribes – is a political organization that consists of segmentary lineages. This type of relation
is marked by loyalty per family cluster or segment. An individual’s loyalty primarily lies on
his or her immediate family, followed by his cousins, and then his or her distant cousins.
Most of the tribe are either horticultural or pastoral.
3. Chiefdoms – is embodied its characteristics that include a political leader with an advisory
council, a leader who exercises power that is based on legitimacy, and the existence of social
stratification.
4. States and nations – a state uses absolute power in directing the path of a society. A state
consists of actors with varying interests and assertions, social rules are implemented in the
form of laws. A nation is a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture
or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.

Being a citizen of a country also entails the enjoyment of certain privileges that are labelled as rights.

There are two types of rights that are enjoyed by individuals as members of state:

1. Natural rights – are those that are expected to be enjoyed by all individuals, regardless of
citizenship.
2. Legal rights – are those that are awarded to an individual by state as part of its culture,
traditions and norms.

1.1 – Authority and Legitimacy

The extent of a leader’s power relies on how much is or her followers accord him or her with it. This
leads to a discussion on the reasons that leaders rise and how they maintain power over individuals.

Legal authority – is achieved by a leader through the process of following established codes and
procedures governing the allocation and distribution of power and resources within a society.

Traditional authority – is a form of leadership legitimacy that highlights the right of a leader to
rule based on inheritance of the title. People under the leadership of a ruler with traditional authority
accept the latter’s exercise of power as it has been the status quo in the society since the forefathers.

Charismatic authority – creates a type of leadership that is based on the personal attachment of the
subordinates to their ruler whose characteristics, experiences, or even skills are believed to be
extraordinary, or maybe even supernatural.

Lesson 2 – Economic Organization

The societal world has been through several changes, advancements, and innovation since the dawn of
the Neolithic age. Consequently, these changes have greatly affected the social, cultural, political and most
especially economic aspect of societies. Due to various and numerous technological improvements, whole
economic processes have also been developed.

Economic Processes
module 9 – political and leadership structures and economic institutions

Reciprocity – in most situations when you give something away, you expect something in return.
This economic process entails the exchange of commodities between parties, often on an individual
basis.

In reciprocity, there are no goods and services lost because it is a circular process wherein you just
receive and return the favor.

Barter is the most common form of reciprocity, as this process included the exchange of
commodities between individuals.

Transfers – is when resources from one individual or organization are given to another with no
expectation of return. This type of economic process allows for the redistribution of resources within
an economic system.

Redistribution – economic redistribution occurs when the resources of one, several individuals, or
groups are collected and distributed proportionally or equally to participating members.

Market Transactions

Market is referred to as the exchange of goods and services that involves buying and selling
process. However, it is not a simple process of exchanging materials, goods, and services.

Humans have several needs and wants that are deemed as bases of market sellers for producing
goods and services.

Moreover, market transactions may affect not only part of the economic aspect of human society; it
affects the other societal, and economic aspects as a whole. One key argument against market
economy is its delimiting effect on the lives of participating individuals.

Market and State

Market involves all the human actions associated with economic aspects. On the other hand, the state
serves as the institution that protects and maintains economic aspects. On the other hand, the state
serves as the institution that protects and maintains economic balance through its economic laws and
policies.

Types of Economic Subsistence

Foraging – one of the most ancient types of subsistence pattern is known as foraging. During
ancient times, people lived in the simplest way by being highly dependent on their environment.
Hunting for animals and gathering wild plants were their most common activities.

Pastoral – is a subsistence pattern that is primarily focused on “tending herds of large animals”.
Various kinds of animals available in their environment became the biggest source of the
survival of the pastoralists.

Horticulture – is a combination of small-scale farming and domesticating animals for the

purpose of food and prestige. Unlike foraging, this subsistence pattern allows for the
accumulation of food products because horticultural societies participate in small surplus or
selling in exchange of the goods they cannot produce.

Agriculture – most large-scale societies are dependent on agriculture as their primary mode of
economic subsistence. Agriculture is the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of
the soil for the growing of crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other
products.
 module 9 – political and leadership structures and economic institutions
Evaluation: True or False – Write True if the said statement is true, and write False if the statement is false,
on a one-half cross-wised sheet of yellow pad paper.

1. A political organization is any entity that is participating in a political process.

2. Tribes is the least complex form of political organization, as it has neither a rigid form of governance
nor a structured form of leadership. A band typically consists of 20 – 50 individuals who are usually
related to one another by virtue of kinship.
3. A nation is a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture or language, inhabiting a
particular country or territory.
4. Legal rights are those that are expected to be enjoyed by all individuals, regardless of citizenship.
5. Legal authority is achieved by a leader through the process of following established codes and
procedures governing the allocation and distribution of power and resources within a society.
6. Charismatic authority is a form of leadership legitimacy that highlights the right of a leader to rule based
on inheritance of the title.
7. Natural rights are those that are awarded to an individual by state as part of its culture, traditions and
norms.
8. Barter is the most common form of reciprocity, as this process included the exchange of commodities
between individuals.
9. Market is referred to as the exchange of goods and services that involves buying and selling process.
However, it is not a simple process of exchanging materials, goods, and services.
10. During ancient times, people lived in the simplest way by being highly dependent on their environment.
Hunting for animals and gathering wild plants were their most common activities.
11. Horticulture is the science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for the growing of
crops and the rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and other products.
12. Chiefdoms is embodied its characteristics that include a political leader with an advisory council, a
leader who exercises power that is based on legitimacy, and the existence of social stratification.
13. Redistribution is when resources from one individual or organization are given to another with no
expectation of return.
14. Market involves all the human actions associated with economic aspects.
15. The state serves as the institution that protects and maintains economic balance through its economic
laws and policies.

Essay: For ten points, write what have you learned about this weekly topic that we have on this interactive
module.

Some Notes:
 module 9 – political and leadership structures and economic institutions

1. Post-test will be recorded and the instructor will collect your answers.
2. Activities will also be recorded and the instructor will collect your exercises.

Bibliography/References:

Internet Connection, Wikipedia

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics by DIWA Publishing

Maria Carinnes P. Alejandria-Gonzalez, Author