Band

Definition

A band is a group of people who are politically and socially organized, typically living together in a territory and sharing a common culture, language, and leadership. Bands are a type of political system that is often associated with colonialism and the categorization of traditional societies.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Bands are typically small, nomadic or semi-nomadic groups that rely on hunting, gathering, and/or simple horticulture for their subsistence.
2. The political organization of bands is often based on kinship and personal relationships, with a high degree of autonomy for individual families or households.
3. Bands are often contrasted with larger, more complex political systems like tribes, chiefdoms, and states, which are often associated with more centralized authority and social stratification.
4. The categorization of traditional societies into bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states was a key feature of colonial anthropology and the development of the field of political anthropology.
5. The study of bands and other forms of traditional political organization has been important for understanding the diversity of human social and political systems and the impact of colonialism on indigenous peoples.

Review Questions

• Describe the key features of a band as a type of political system.
  • Bands are typically small, nomadic or semi-nomadic groups that rely on hunting, gathering, and/or simple horticulture for their subsistence. Their political organization is often based on kinship and personal relationships, with a high degree of autonomy for individual families or households. Bands are often contrasted with larger, more complex political systems like tribes, chiefdoms, and states, which are associated with more centralized authority and social stratification.
• Explain the role of bands in the categorization of traditional political systems during the colonial era.
  • The categorization of traditional societies into bands, tribes, chiefdoms, and states was a key feature of colonial anthropology and the development of the field of political anthropology. This classification system was used by colonial powers to understand and organize the diverse political structures of indigenous peoples, often in ways that justified colonial control and the imposition of Western-style governance. The study of bands and other forms of traditional political organization has been important for understanding the impact of colonialism on indigenous peoples and the diversity of human social and political systems.
• Analyze the relationship between the concept of bands and the broader themes of colonialism and the categorization of political systems.
  • The concept of bands as a type of political system is closely tied to the broader themes of colonialism and the categorization of traditional societies. Colonial anthropologists and administrators used the band-tribe-chiefdom-state framework to classify and understand the diverse political structures of indigenous peoples, often in ways that justified colonial control and the imposition of Western-style governance. This categorization system was a key feature of the colonial project, as it allowed colonial powers to assert their own political and cultural superiority over the 'primitive' or 'uncivilized' political structures of the colonized. The study of bands and other forms of traditional political organization has been important for challenging this colonial legacy and for understanding the diversity and complexity of human social and political systems.

Related terms

Tribe: A tribe is a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.

Chiefdom: A chiefdom is a type of political organization in which power is vested in a chief, who is the head of the community and is assisted by a council of elders or other advisors.

State: A state is a political and geographically defined territory with a centralized government and the power to make and enforce laws within its borders.