ANTH 1170 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Egalitarianism, Ozarks, Debra Granik
12 Nov 2018
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Document Summary
Tribes as a byproduct of states, not a predecessor. Bands gradually evolved into tribes as a result of colonialism. Zomia as the highlands of southeast asia; tribes as living in the mountains, civilized people live in cities on the rivers; tribes there by choice, not because of any implied inferiority. Pushed out by the inequalities of the state, producing the egalitarian lifestyle of the tribe. Scott argues that the tribal way of life is a choice to maintain equality and resist incorporation by the state through various methods: Political choice of resistance through isolated location (ie. mountains or deserts) Subsistence routines that maximize disruption (mobility and autonomy) Value of egalitarianism and autonomy above all else (avoidance of dominance hierarchies) Broad repertoire of languages and ethnic identities (fluid identities as a means of resistance) States as a product of writing (invented to keep bureaucratic records)
