Band society

A band society is the simplest form of human. A band generally consists of a small kin group, no larger than an or. Bands have very informal leadership; the older members of the band generally are looked to for guidance and advice, but there are no written s and none of the, e.g., police, seen typically in more complex societies. Bands' s are almost always transmitted. Formal social institutions are few or non-existent. is generally based on family tradition, individual experience, or counsel from a. All known band societies to obtain their food. (See )

In his 1972 study, The Notion of the Tribe, defined  bands as small, mobile, and fluid social formations with weak  that do not generate surpluses, pay no es and  support no standing.

Bands are distinguished from s in that tribes are generally larger, consisting of many families. Tribes have more social institutions, such as a, , or s. Tribes are also more permanent than bands; a band can cease to exist if only a small group walks out. Many tribes are in fact sub-divided into bands; in the, some tribes are made up of official bands that live in specific locations.

With the spread of the modern to all corners of the globe, there are very few true band societies left. Some historic examples include the of northern, the  of the , the  of southern , and some groups of.

Compare to

See also: , in which a "band" forms fundamental component.