MODULE 9- POLITICAL &

LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES
POLITICAL
ORGANIZATION
 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.
•TYPICALLY CONSISTS OF 20-50
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE USUALLY
RELATED TO ONE ANOTHER BY
VIRTUE OF KINSHIP.
•DUE TO CLOSE FAMILY TIES BETWEEN
MEMBERS OF THE GROUP, COERCION
AS A FORM OF RECEIVING
COMPLIANCE IS NOT AN OPTION.
•INDIVIDUALS ARE MADE TO FOLLOW
GROUP DECISION THROUGH SOCIAL
MECHANISM SUCH AS GOSSIPING,
OSTRACISING, AND BEING
REDICULED.
•THIS SOCIETY IS CHIEFLY BASED ON
FORAGING, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN
AS HUNTING AND GATHERING.
•THIS ALLOWS FOR GREATER
MOBILITY OF THE GROUP AS THEY
FOLLOW ANIMALS AND OTHER FOOD
SOURCES.
•DECISION-MAKING IS OFTEN MADE
BY THE ENTIRE GROUP, WITH THE
ELDEST MEMBER ACTING AS THE
FACILITATOR.
•THIS FORM OF LEADERSHIP IS
INFORMAL, AS THE EXTENT OF THE
LEADER’S POWER LIES ONLY UPON
HIS OR HER CAPACITY TO INFLUENCE
THE CURSE OF DIALOG IN THE GROUP.
•EGALITARIAN IN SOCIAL
COMPOSITION. (relating to or believing in the
principle that all people are equal and deserve equal
rights and opportunities)
•THIS IMPLIES THAT INDIVIDUALS IN
THE GROUP HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO
RESOURCES AND VALUES.
•RECIPROCITY IS THE PRIMARY FORM
OF EXCHANGE AMONG MEMBERS.
(BARTER)
•INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE LESSER
CAPACITY TO HUNT OR GATHER HAVE
EQUAL ACCESS TO THE FOOD THAT
OTHER MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO
PRODUCE. THIS ARRANGEMENT
PRODUCES A FORM OF SAFETY NET,
WHEREIN EVERY MEMBER OF THE
GROUP IS ASSURED OF BASIC NEEDS
SUCH AS FOOD AND WATER.
 2. TRIBES
•IS A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION
THAT CONSISTS OF SEGMENTARY
LINEAGES. THIS TYPE OF KINSHIP
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 OR HER COUSINS, AND
THEN HIS OR HER DISTANT
COUSINS. THIS TYPE OF KINSHIP
GROUPING ALLOWS THE
CREATION OF INTERDEPENDENT
GENERATIONS.
•THIS ALSO CREATES POLITICAL
ORGANIZATION THAT IS LESS
DISTINCT FROM KINSHIP
ORGANIZATIONS. THIS MEANS
THAT THE POSITION OF THE
FATHER IN THE FAMILY IS THE
PRIME DECISION MAKER AND HIS
POSITION IN THE SOCIETY WILL
MOST LIKELY BE SIMILAR.
A GROUP OF MAASAI TRIBESMEN
•THE MAASAI TRIBE OF KENYA
HAVE STRONG SEGMENTARY
LINEAGES THAT ALLOW FOR
GENERATUIONAL SOLIDARITY OF
WARRIORS COMING FROM THE
SAME AGE GROUP.
•TRIBES ARE LESS MOBILE THAT
BANDS.
•TRIBES ECONOMIC SUBSISTENCE
REQUIRES A DEGREE OF
SETTLEMENT. MOST TRIBES ARE
EITHER HORTICULTURAL
(SHIFTING AGRICULTURE) Horticulture
is the branch of agriculture that deals with the
art, science, technology, and business of plant
cultivation. AND PASTORAL (TENDING
ANIMALS)
•LEADERS ARE CHOOSEN IN THIS
TYPE OF ORGANIZATION WHO ARE
BELIEVED TO POSSESS SPECIAL
SKILLS OR APTITUDES THAT
RELATES TO THE ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY. HENCE, SHOULD A
YOUNGER AND AN OLDER HUNTER
BE IN A DEBATE ABOUT DECISION,
THE DECISION- MAKING POWER
DED BY THE MEMBERS OF THE
SOCIETY TO THE PERSON WITH
GREATER SKILLS IN HUNTING
WITHOUT CONSIDERING AGE.
• A TRIBUTE IS A FORM OF GIFT
THAT MAY CONSIST OF WEALTH,
FOOD, AND OTHER MATERIALS
GIVEN TO A CENTRAL FIGURE WHO
TO THE OTHER MEMBER OF THE
SOCIETY. THROUGH THIS PROCESS,
THE PRODUCTS OF ONE GROUP IS
SHARED AND CONSUMED BY THE
OTHER GROUP.
 3. CHIEFDOMS
•The ancient Mayans were known for
their complex and elaborate political
system that incorporated religion,
kinship, and politics. The Mayan
political organization is an example of a
chiefdom.
MAYANS
CHIEFDOM- 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.
•IT IS COMPLEX THAN A TRIBE, AS THIS
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION CONSIST
OF A FEW LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHO
SUBSCRIBE TO THE POWER AND RULE
OF A LEADER WHO HAS ABSOLUTE
POWER ON THEM. THIS ABSOLUTE
POWER IS DERIVED FROM A
PERCEIVED RELATION OF A LEADER
TO SUPERNATURAL FORCES
AND POWERS, WHICH IS A FORM OF
LEGITIMIZING FACTOR. AS LONG AS
THE MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITIES BELIEVE THAT
THEIR LEADER IS A DIRECT
DESCENDANT OF THEIR GODS, THIS
LEADER MAINTAINS HIS OR HER
SOVEREIGNTY IN THE LAND. ONCE
THE BELIEF OF PEOPLE SHIFTS, THIS
INSTATANEOUSLY LOSES POWER.
SIMILAR TO THE TRIBE, THIS
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION TIED WITH
HORTICULTURE AND PASTORALISM.
WHAT DISTINGUISHES A CHIEFDOM
FROM A TRIBE IS THE EXISTENCE OF
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION THAT
SEGREGATES SOCIETY INTO ELITE
AND COMMONER.
 4. STATE AND NATIONS
•STATE– REFERS TO A GROUP OF
PEOPLE SHARING SIMILAR CULTURE
AND POLITICAL HISTORY.
•NATION- REFERS TO A POLITICAL
ORGANIZATION UNITED BY A
COMMON SET OF LAWS.
STATE –USES ABSOLUTE POWER IN
DIRECTING PATH OF THE SOCIETY.
TO ATTAIN SOCIETAL GOAL AND
OBJECTIVES, A STATE USES
COMPLETE POLITICAL
COERCIVENESS, WHICH MAY COME
IN THE FORM OF ARMED
PERSONNEL, STRICT LAWS, AND
RIGID GOVERNMENTAL POLICIES.
THIS PROVIDES MARGINAL
INTERSECTION BETWEEN POLITICS
AND KINSHIP, AS BOTH ARE REQUIRED
NOT TO INTERACT IN THE GUISE OF
PROFESSIONALISM AND
INCORRUPTIBILITY.
THE PRIMARY FORM OF ECONOMIC
SUBSISTENCE IN THIS POLITICAL
ORGANIZATION IS MARKET
SOCIAL RULES OF THE STATE ARE
IMPLEMENTED IN THE FORM OF
LAWS. THESE LAWS ARE CREATED
TO MANAGE THE INTERACTION
AMONG INDIVIDUALS AND
BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND THE
STATE.
INDIVIDUAL IS SUBJECTED TO
THESE NORMS MAY INCLUDE
PAYING TAXES, RENDERING
MILITARY SERVICE, AND
CONTRIBUTING TO THE POLITICAL
LIFE OF THE SOCIETY.
2 TYPES OF RIGHTS ENJOYED BY
INDIVIDUALS:
1. NATURAL RIGHTS- THOSE THAT ARE
EXPECTED TO BE ENJOYED BY ALL
INDIVIDUALS REGARDLESS OF
CITIZENSHIP. EXAMPLE, RIGHT TO
LIFE, RIGHT TO LIBERTY OR FREEDOM
2. LEGAL RIGHTS- THOSE THAT ARE
AWARDED TO AN INDIVIDUAL AS PART
OF ITS CULTURE, TRADITION, AND
NORMS.EXAMPLE: RIGHT TO VOTE, RIGHT TO
PRIVACY, RIGHT TO JOIN FORMAL ORGANIZATION