Practice Quiz for Bands and Tribes

Practice Quiz for Bands and Tribes

No. of Questions= 15

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1. A general term for relatively simple political systems in which power is diffused throughout the society.

a) acephalous

b) hierarchical

c) chiefdoms

2. The simplest kind of political system for a society is a:

a) tribe

b) band

c) chiefdom

3. What level of political integration would be expected to exist in a society in which the total number of people does not exceed a few dozen and there is no economic class differentiation.

a) band

b) tribe

c) pantribal association

4. What is the primary binding mechanism of a band level society? In other words, what usually is most effective in keeping these societies from disintegrating?

a) pantribal associations

b) religion

c) kinship

5. Which of the following statements is true of bands?

a) Typically, there is no leadership position in bands that has the authority to conclusively settle disputes, punish criminals, or prevent families from leaving.

b) They rarely split into two separate bands because of the strong leadership of their headmen.

c) The political and economic power of women is generally very low compared to men.

6. In his field studies of the ju/'hoansi, Richard Lee noted that as the number of people in a band level society increases, the potential for disruptive interpersonal conflicts inevitably rises. What did he call this phenomenon?

a) social discord

b) kinship divorce

c) social velocity

7. How does someone in a pedestrian foraging band usually become a political leader for the community?

a) appointment by a superior

b) appointment by a mystical religious leader

c) community consensus arrived at through casual discussion

8. Which of the following statements is true of band leaders?

a) They usually only have temporary political power.

b) They are usually appointed to their positions for life.

c) Bands do not have leaders of any sort.

9. About how many band level societies survive today with their traditional form of political organization intact?

a) few if any

b) hundreds (mostly in Africa and South America)

10. What percent of people living today had ancestors who lived in societies with band level political systems?

a) 5%

b) 45%

c) 100%

11. What kind of political system is most likely to be found among horticultural and pastoralist societies that consist of a few hundred people with multiple communities and other kinds of social sub-divisions?

a) bands

b) tribes

c) either bands or tribes

12. Tribes are different from bands in that they have a new kind of integrative mechanism consisting of organizations that cross-cut society by bringing together a limited number of people, typically at least one from each family. Anthropologists refer to these kinds of groups as _____________ .

a) age sets

b) pantribal associations

c) neither of the above

13. Which of the following statements is true of tribes?

a) They are essentially egalitarian in that no one family or residential group is politically or economically superior to others.

b) They are advanced over bands in the way that they are integrated.

c) They are essentially acephalous.

d) all of the above are true

14. Where did indigenous tribal level societies have leaders called "big men"?

a) New Guinea

b) Uganda

c) Hawaii

15. In New Guinea, tribal leaders often worked for years to accumulate things of high value in order to give them away in large, very public formal ceremonies. What traditionally was the most important kind of thing that they gave away?

a) fish oil

b) women and children

c) pigs

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This page was last updated on Monday, July 31, 2006.
Copyright � 2004-2005 by Dennis O'Neil. All rights reserved.

1.	A general term for relatively simple political systems in which power is diffused throughout the society.


	a)	acephalous
	b)	hierarchical
	c)	chiefdoms


2.	The simplest kind of political system for a society is a:


	a)	tribe
	b)	band
	c)	chiefdom


3.	What level of political integration would be expected to exist in a society in which the total number of people does not exceed a few dozen and there is no economic class differentiation.


	a)	band
	b)	tribe
	c)	pantribal association


4.	What is the primary binding mechanism of a band level society? In other words, what usually is most effective in keeping these societies from disintegrating?


	a)	pantribal associations
	b)	religion
	c)	kinship


5.	Which of the following statements is true of bands?


	a)	Typically, there is no leadership position in bands that has the authority to conclusively settle disputes, punish criminals, or prevent families from leaving.
	b)	They rarely split into two separate bands because of the strong leadership of their headmen.
	c)	The political and economic power of women is generally very low compared to men.


6.	In his field studies of the ju/'hoansi, Richard Lee noted that as the number of people in a band level society increases, the potential for disruptive interpersonal conflicts inevitably rises. What did he call this phenomenon?


	a)	social discord
	b)	kinship divorce
	c)	social velocity


7.	How does someone in a pedestrian foraging band usually become a political leader for the community?


	a)	appointment by a superior
	b)	appointment by a mystical religious leader
	c)	community consensus arrived at through casual discussion


8.	Which of the following statements is true of band leaders?


	a)	They usually only have temporary political power.
	b)	They are usually appointed to their positions for life.
	c)	Bands do not have leaders of any sort.


9.	About how many band level societies survive today with their traditional form of political organization intact?


	a)	few if any
	b)	hundreds (mostly in Africa and South America)


10.	What percent of people living today had ancestors who lived in societies with band level political systems?


	a)	5%
	b)	45%
	c)	100%


11.	What kind of political system is most likely to be found among horticultural and pastoralist societies that consist of a few hundred people with multiple communities and other kinds of social sub-divisions?


	a)	bands
	b)	tribes
	c)	either bands or tribes


12.	Tribes are different from bands in that they have a new kind of integrative mechanism consisting of organizations that cross-cut society by bringing together a limited number of people, typically at least one from each family. Anthropologists refer to these kinds of groups as _____________ .


	a)	age sets
	b)	pantribal associations
	c)	neither of the above


13.	Which of the following statements is true of tribes?


	a)	They are essentially egalitarian in that no one family or residential group is politically or economically superior to others.
	b)	They are advanced over bands in the way that they are integrated.
	c)	They are essentially acephalous.
	d)	all of the above are true


14.	Where did indigenous tribal level societies have leaders called "big men"?


	a)	New Guinea
	b)	Uganda
	c)	Hawaii


15.	In New Guinea, tribal leaders often worked for years to accumulate things of high value in order to give them away in large, very public formal ceremonies. What traditionally was the most important kind of thing that they gave away?


	a)	fish oil
	b)	women and children
	c)	pigs