SOCIAL COMPLEXITY: a technology, or a collection of different technologies
Simplest level of social complexity= a Band
Characteristics of a band
Size: less than 50 (small society)
Leadership/strata: informal and temporary
(No economic social class, at most, temporary informal leadership)
Work: no occupational specialization, variation only by age and sex
Economy: Minimal exchange, reciprocity
Notes:
Members related and culturally homogeneous (members of a band are all related
by blood or marriage)
Conflict in the band society is dealt with at an individual basis, there is no formal
conflict resolution structure.
Most self-sufficient society with the least resources/complexity
Second level of social complexity: Tribe
Size: between 50-1000
Leadership/strata: Informal, no leader in a tribe
Work: no occupational specialization, variation only by age and sex
Economy: exchange, reciprocity (giving and owing), trade
Notes:
Members are culturally homogeneous, but has a presence of "strangers" in this
society (more than one extended family compared to a band), clan systems are
common
Being the “stranger” is dangerous in a small community (tribe), since if
something goes wrong, you are automatically blamed, also a stranger is
unpredictable- "stranger anxiety"
o Tribes create artificial families/clan systems to overcome their stranger
anxiety (makes sure strangers have a connection to each other)
Why do we not find complex technologies in Bands and Tribes?
Because there is a lack of craft specialization; these societies have no craft
specialization
In contrast, we are now living in craft specialization since we have the ability to dedicate
our time to specialize in a specific skill, etc. whereas people in those societies had to do
everything from hunting, gathering, medical, etc.
Third level of Society: Chiefdom (The most dramatic change is from the tribe to a
chiefdom society since there is a massive domino effect and the key thing that triggers
this effect is the introduction of Craft Specialization)
Size: around 1000-100,000 people
Leadership: Formal leaders (often hereditary), social strata, ranked classes, general
bureaucrats Work: craft/vocational specialization
Economy: Trade and redistributive economy
Notes:
Members are culturally homogeneous, the presence of "strangers" in this society,
clan systems, presence of slavery, first presence of public works in a society,
ideology is significant
From bands and tribes…Chiefdom, states, and empires, are more invested in the
society and the more they need the society to survive (you can no longer depend
on yourself whereas in ba
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