Political Anthropology: Colonialism, Social Organization, and Authority

All flashcards

What does ethnocentrism mean in the study of political systems?

Judging other societies through the standards and assumptions of one’s own culture.

What did *African Political Systems* contribute to political anthropology?

Its 1940 ethnographic essays documented organized political institutions, representation, and collaborative decision-making in African societies.

What is a centralized political system?

A political system in which authority is concentrated in one or more formal roles, such as a chief’s office.

What is an acephalous society?

A society without a single centralized ruler or formal political office at its center; power may be shared through families or meetings.

What is power in Max Weber’s account of politics?

The ability to influence people or shape social processes and structures.

Quiz questions

1. What was a major economic motivation for European countries to establish formal colonial rule in the late 1800s?Answer: To secure raw materials for growing industrial economies.
2. What misconception did European administrators commonly hold about non-Western political organization?Answer: They assumed societies were either ruled by tyrants or lacked political organization and were chaotic.
3. Why was the 1940 collection *African Political Systems* important?Answer: It documented organized African political institutions, representation, and collaborative decision-making.
4. A community makes political decisions through families and village meetings without a formal ruler. Which form of organization best describes it?Answer: Acephalous political organization.
5. How do contemporary political anthropologists generally respond to the claim that all societies pass through the same stages of development?Answer: They reject universal stages and emphasize each society’s particular history and political complexity.