Segmentary lineage

Segmentary lineage

A segmentary lineage society is characterized by the organization of the society into segments; what is often referred to as a tribal society.

A simple, non-anthropologist's explanation is that the close family is the smallest and closest segment, and will generally stand with each other. That family is also a part of a larger segment of more distant cousins and their families, who will stand with each other when attacked by outsiders. They are then part of larger segments with the same characteristics. Basically, brothers will fight against cousins, unless outsiders come, and then they will join together, as expressed eg. in the old Arab saying: "Me against my brothers, me and my brothers against my cousins, me and my cousins against the world." Fact|date=March 2007

The ancient Hebrew nation (the Israelites) is one of the more well-known examples, with 12 tribes originating from one common ancestor (Jacob). The largest segmentary lineage society today is believed to be the Pashtun people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, with some 42 million members organized into a vast tribal structure.

External links

* [http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/tutor/descent/unilineal/segments.html Segmentary Lineages] , a chapter of [http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/tutor/index.html Kinship and Social Organization] written by Brian Schwimmer.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • HISTORY bibliography — General ■ Abun Nasr, Jamil M. History of the Maghrib. 2nd rev. ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1975. ■ Ajayi, J. F. A, and Michael Crowder. History of West Africa. 2 vols. London: Longman Group, 1971, 1974. ■ Akkache, A. Tacfarinas.… …   Historical dictionary of the berbers (Imazighen)

  • Tiv — ethnic group group=Tiv poptime=Approx. 2 millioncite web url = http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show language.asp?code=TIV title = Ethnologue] popplace= Nigeria, Cameroon rels= Christianity, Islam, traditional langs= Tiv related= The Tiv are an ethno …   Wikipedia

  • Tiv people — For other meanings of Tiv , see Tiv (disambiguation). Tiv Total population Approx. 2 million[1] Regions with significant populations Nigeria, Cameroon Languages Tiv …   Wikipedia

  • Tiv — Populations Population totale 3 844 000 Populations significatives par régions  Nigeria 3 843 000 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Tivs — Tiv Tiv Populations significatives par régions  Nigeria …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Luo — /looh oh , looh oh/, n., pl. Luos, (esp. collectively) Luo for 1. 1. a member of a people living mainly in southwest Kenya. 2. the Nilotic language of the Luo people. * * * People of the flat country near Lake Victoria in western Kenya and… …   Universalium

  • Sudan, The — officially Republic of the Sudan Country, North Africa. Area: 966,757 sq mi (2,503,890 sq km). Population (2002 est.): 37,090,000. Capital: Khartoum. Muslim Arab ethnic groups live in the northern and central two thirds of the country, while… …   Universalium

  • Jama`a —    This Arabic term refers to the assembly of notables of a tribe or a tribal section that in Berber society acts as a legislative, executive, and judicial entity. In some places, it goes by the name of taqbilt, the term being the Tamazight form… …   Historical dictionary of the berbers (Imazighen)

  • Pashtun people — Pashtuns پښتانه Paṣ̌tun …   Wikipedia

  • Tiv — /tiv/, n., pl. Tivs, (esp. collectively) Tiv. 1. a member of an African people living N and S of the lower Benue River in E Nigeria. 2. the Benue Congo language of the Tiv. * * * People living along the Benue River in Nigeria. They number more… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”