ANTHR101 Lecture 27: What is Political Anthropology
26 Mar 2020
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What is political anthropology: power: the ability to achieve desired results, authority: the ability to take action through an ascribed or achieved status. Influence: the ability to achieve a desired end by exerting social or moral pressure. Functions of political systems: to make decisions on behalf of people, exercise a form of social control, types of political organizations, bands and tribes. Need to fear the punishment to follow the rule: chiefdoms and states. Formal (external) social control: sanctions are imposed by a third party within the group: defined as either "self-help systems" or "court systems" Self-help systems: the victim has the right to demand retribution. Disputes are either mediated by the individuals, or the individual has the authority to demand retribution (in a fair and just manner: court systems: authority resides with the group, not the individual. Incipient courts: members of the group decide how the conflict should be resolved and use their influence to enforce the sanction.
