Sociopolitical organization (In Womack ch.4 pp. 85-97)
Political anthropology is the cross-cultural study of political systems.
Cross-culturally there is a range of effectiveness and complexity in political systems
from informal ones with temporary leaders of limited formal authority to extremely
complex ones with strong and permanent political institutions.
Politics
Power is the ability to exercise one's will over others.
Authority is the socially approved use of power.
Political organization refers to the systematic allocation of power within a society.
Types and trends

While sociopolitical typologies and economic typologies focus on
different aspects of social organization, there are some correlates between types.

The two scales tend to covary according to complexity of organization.

There are some causal relationships that affect the covariance of sociopolitical
and economic type.
Social stratification:
inequality in society: the extent to which culturally valued material and social
rewards are allocated disproportionately to individuals, families and other groups.
Stratification → unequal access to power and resources (or wealth, power and
prestige)
Classification of the kinds and degree of inequality found in human cultures
(Morton Fried).

Egalitarian (non-stratified), (foragers and horticultural societies)

Ranked (some foragers and horticultural and intensive agricultural peoples)

Stratified
 caste (among intensive agricultural peoples)
(a ranked group according to ideas of purity etc. /membership by birth)
 class societies (intensive agricultural and industrial peoples)
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Forms of political organization
Categories such as tribe, chiefdom to state are ideal types (definite distinctions)
Actually there is a continuum.
Status refers to any position in a society that can be filled by individuals.
o Ascribed status is status into which people enter automatically without
choice, usually at birth or through some other universal event in the life
cycle.
o Achieved status is status that people acquire through their own actions.
Status shifting.
Most status is susceptible to change, particularly through the influence of social contexts.
Adjusting or switching one's status in reaction to different social contexts is called the
situational negotiation of social identity.
Political organization of human groups
Band (e.g.!Kung,
Tribe (e.g.
Inuit, San)
KawelkaN.Guinea, Nuer,
Yanomami)
Local
Regional
Nonstratified
Nonstratified
(egalitarian)
(egalitarian)
Leadership based
Leadership based
on ability
on ability
Kin-based
Kin-based
Chiefdom (e.g.
Basseri, Polynesia)
State (e.g. Canada,
US)
Regional
Stratified/ranked
Regional
Stratified
Leadership based on
office
Kin-based
Leadership based
on office
Bureaucratic
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