Kinship Oriented Political Systems:

I. Kinship Oriented Political Systems:

A political system in which a kinship group works as a political body is called kinship-oriented political system. The kinship-oriented system includes lineage-based tribal system and clan-oriented tribal system.

1. Linage based political system:

  1. The horticultural Tiv of Nigeria and the pastoral Nuer of Sudan serve as typical examples of lineage based political system.
  2. Tribal growth takes place through segments. Lineage starts with maximal lineages to major lineages to minor lineages to minimal lineages.
  3. these segments are autonomous and functionally and structurally similar to each other
  4. Complementary opposition is a means of unifying higher order lineages politically
  5. The whole group comes together during a conflict between minimal segments or when attacking or being attacked by outsiders.
  6. The Nuer have an institutionalized arbiter known as the “Leopard Skin Chief”. His responsibility is to minimize the most disruptive effects or inter lineage fends, He is a mediator with no coercive power, an example of legitimacy without force.

The segmentary tribe is divided into a number of independent local communities called primary segments. These may -be villages or homesteads but are often , especially in Africa, lineages (thus the name segmentary lineage system for this type of  organization). Primary segments, as the name implies, are the smallest significant units in the segmentary structure and constitute the focal units in economic, political and religious activity, In other words most of the business of social life is taken care of at the primary

 In Sahlins terminology (196B), the primary segments (in fact, all units on any one level) in a segmentary tribe are structurally equivalent and functionally equivalent as well as being politically equivalent.

  •  Structural equivalence simply means that in a blueprint of the society’s organization, or a diagram of the arrangement of its part, the same-level units in the scheme are interchangeable as structures or as building blocks constituting the whole.
  • Functional equivalent means that each unit of primary segment “does for itself, economically and in other ways what the other do for themselves” (sahlins, 1968:21). Thus all units perform the same functions for themselves.
  • Political equality is manifest in the notion that no segment of a level is better than any other segment on that level, none a superior or politically dominant. No segment holds authority over another like segment, each is politically independent of the others. AS Sahlins(1968:21)says “jealous of their own sovereignty , they recognize no greater political cause standing over and against their separate interests, Certain groups may only for a time and a purpose as for a military venture but the collective spirit is episodic. When the objective for which it was called into being is accomplished the alliance lapses and the tribe returns to its normal state of disunity.

Never the less, in the background, behind the notions of jealous separatism, there is a feeling of ethnic or cultural connection. Some measure of tribal identity is given by the similarities of language and custom that link the various segments into a loose whole and distinguish them from other peoples with different languages and customs. There is some notion of their all being alike of being “one people” and there is usually some idea of historic identity. –

2. Clan-based political system

Clan is an organizing unit It is the seat of political authority.

Eg: – Among the vannibago Red Indians there are clan councils and inter clan councils. Each clan is the seat of political authority. The clan elders form a council to settle disputes. Each clan has its own customary law. Any member of a clan who violates the customary law is firmly dealt with by the clan council.

Apart from the clan council, there is a inter-clan council formed by the heads of different clan councils. There are 6 clans among them.

  1. The Thunder-Bird clan
  2. The Bear clan
  3. The Buffalo clan
  4. The wolf Clan
  5. The water-spirit clan
  6. Elk Clan

 Of these clans, the thunder bird clan is considered superior. The leader representing this clan will be the head of the inter-clan council; Matters involving inter-clan issues are discussed and disposed off by the inter-clan council

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