week 13 (last week)
power def
ability to compel another person to do something that they would not do otherwise using the threat of punishment or reward (coercively or persuasively)
Power exists in all social relationships
Power is one of the means by which people become unequal (resources or status) Therefore, power is an important aspect of culture
Coercive power def
Use of physical force (or the threat of it) to influence behaviour
Persuasive power def
Influencing others behaviour usually through speech and offers a reward for compliance
Authority def
access to legitimate power (within consent of members in a group)
Three types of authority (Max Weber)
1) Traditional Authority- Power is inherited or passed down, reguardless of a persons skills (King Charles)
2) Charismatic Authority- Power is based on an individuals charisma or personal appeal (Martin Luther King)
3) Legal-Rational Authority- Based on established laws, rules, or procedures, Modern democracy (Danielle Smith)
Prestige def
Social reward given by others, postive repuation or high regard (of a person or other entity) merited by actions, wealth, authority or status. Prestige can be aqquired by/through individual achievements (achieved status) or can be inherited (ascribed status)
ex- "big man" in Melanesia- Informal community leader who possesses authority based on prestige and persuasive power. Work is required to keep this position- achieved and ascribed.
Controls def
Developed by societies to maintain order within their group and with other groups
Internalized controls def
Controls come within the group and are part of a societys cultural values
Are taught and learned as morals (ex-stealing is wrong) and as part of a cultural system but can also include genetic, social ans psychological avoidances (ex- incest taboo)
Cultures tend to develop internalized controls that revolve around shame or guilt
Externalized controls def
Rules imposed from the outside
Are enforced by authority figures
Sanctions (punishments) are enacted when rules are broken and can be informal or formal
Shame cultures def
Motivation to conform is guided by wanting to live up to others expectations
Recieving critisism from others is a serious offence and in some cases everything is done to avoid bringing shame onto ones family
More prominent in communal/dependence- training cultures
Guilt cultures def
Motivation to conform comes from an individuals own sence of right and wrong and the punishment that can result from breaking the rules
Individuals suffer emotionally due to failing to meet their own expectations rather than those of others.
More prominent in independence training cultures
2 types of sanctions:
Informal sanctions- given by community members and can be preventive or retributive
Formal sanctions- enforced by authority figures (can be legal like prisons or fines)
Rewards def
postive and meant to encourage certain behaviors and they can be informal or formal
Two types of political systems:
1) Uncentralized systems- Systems where decisons are made collectively
Found mostly in smaller homogeneous societies
No central governing body (informal sanctions imposed by community members)
A persons role and responsibilites are guided by kinship
2) Centralized systems- More complex, heterogeneous societies
Systems where decison power is held by a small group of people
A ruling body (one or a few individuals) is given authority to rule
Formal sanctions, as not everyone is related or knows eachother
Characteristcs of a BAND:
-approx 50-100 individuals
-Rely on foraging for subsistence, highly mobile and homogeneous
-No centralized governmemt or other coercive authority (uncentralized system)
-Egalitarian leadership is temporary and informal
-Mediation and informal sanctions can be used (gossip and ridicue)
Characteristcs of a TRIBE:
-Higher population density than bands
-Horticulturalists or pastoralists and more sedentary and homogeneous
-Egalitarian or rank society (Hereditary prestige)
-Uncentralized power, but leaders can arise (ex-Big man)
-Mediation and village discussions are used to solve issues
-Informal sanctions can be used
Characteristcs of a CHEIFDOM:
-Larger population (More heterogeneous than bands and tribes)
-Intensive agriculture
-Centralized government and formalized leadership exsist
-Authority is inherited
-Rank society (family determines prestige/status)
-Central power can enforce formal sanctions to control behaviour
Characteristcs of a STATE:
-Industrial societies and hetergeneous
-Formalized central government with the authority to use force (often a police) to control its citizens
-Codified laws and associated punishments (formal sanctions)
-Stratified society
Social stratification def
unequal access to resources
"High ranking" members own or have access to more resources (posessions/oppurtunitues) than "low ranking" members in a stratified society
More power and prestige is often held by a small group of "high rank people"
Mobility def
between the system can be allowed or may be prevented
Class def
based on differences in wealth and status, mobility is possible (but is often difficult) example of achieved status
Caste def
hierarchial system based on birth (cannot be changed) example of ascribed status
Gender stratification def
dominance of men and subordinate status of woemen
Is not "natural" but seems to be connected with social norms concerning power
Ernestine Friedl (1978)
Connection between power and the distribution of food reasources
1)Where women grew and controlled access to food, women had relatively equal status to men
2) Where men controlled food resorces, men dominated women socially and poltically
Women will face more restrctions in societies where gender stratification exists (ex- behaviour, dress, interactions mat ne controlled tightly while mens behavior will not)
Environmental inequality def
Certain populations are more impacted by air,water and noise pollution, climate change than others
-Acess to clean freshwater is unequal across the world,
-Only approx 25% of water is fresh and some places have more than others (Brazil, US, Russia, Canada and China)
-19/25 countries suffering the most from lack of fresh water are in Africa
-Leads to more deaths, ecpecially amoung children
-Privatization makes it that acsess to clean freshwater is no longer treated as a basic huma right.
-Access to clean water can be impacted by gender, status or ethnic differneces.
Vioence and war
violence often arises out of power inequalitues/hierarchies
Types of violence depend on the size of groups involved and the objectives of the conflict
Raid def
short term incursions with a spesific goal
Feud def
death of a member leads to an ongoing violent relation between 2 groups with the goal of revenge
Warfare def
much larger scale than raids and feuds. Weapons and transports are more advanced
Civil wars def
Societies can be divided internally by civil wars, where different groups within a society go at war with one another
Tensions build up for years and can evolve into full civil wars and genocide
War can be waged with another nation/society. Goals involve killing as much as possible and/or accessing resources
Is warfare natural?
Avoiding conflict and confrontation is important in small scale societies (for survival)
Large scale warfare appears with centralized states and surpluses of food and resources
Agression is not always valued culturally because cultural norms will be developed to lessen tensions as cooperation is crucial to survival.