ANTHR101 Lecture Notes - Meritocracy
14 Mar 2014
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The amount of inequalities that exist in a society is how we determine just how organized a state/society is. Cities with very complex social organization and a very large territory. Based on agriculture with centralized government supported by tribute and taxation. *it is not a coincidence that cities do not pop up until after we discover agriculture. Mass agriculture production creates a need for administration of distribution of food and organization of labour (especially for production of irrigation and other such large organized ventures) The state system was based on inequalities in wealth and status. Very little upward or downward mobility in the social stratum. Inequalities are reinforced by coersion. centralized judicial systems. Bands: small groups based on family ties; no centralized authority; limited task specialization; no differences in wealth and status. *not interested in acquiring power or accumulating surpluses. Tribes: cluster of bands (large kin groups) which organize the distribution of resources and provide a system of economic support.
