Running head: ANTHROPOLOGY 1

Political and Religious Organizations

Student

Institution
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Political and Religious Organizations

Question 1: Political Organization

Band Societies

The band societies are the smallest type of human community (Brown, Tubelle de

Gonzalez, & McIlwraith, 2017). Food production is governed by the ethos of the society. The

resources are distributed following the principles built in the population. The leadership is

hereditary and the senior members of the community lead the community in identifying the

leaders.

Tribal Societies

Tribal societies consist of the people who speak the same language and the population is

classified to include about 100 people (Brown, Tubelle de Gonzalez, & McIlwraith, 2017). The

people in such a community have a share the same language. Tribes in most cases stay in close-

knit villages. The production of food is usually communal and is always done around the same

time. The resources are generally individual and rarely communally owned by the society

members. Most tribal communities lack definite leadership that defines them. A common

ancestry drives the societies.

State Societies

The state societies are largely political. They consist of people under the same political

role and governed by a single ruler who runs the government (Brown, Tubelle de Gonzalez, &

McIlwraith, 2017). All the sub-communities within the societies carry themselves out in the

societies. State authorities that determine how they experience authority define the interactions

between the members of the state societies. The authorities govern the resources. Food
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production is ruled by the authorities that set the recommended prices that the members of the

societies access goods.

Question 2: Religion

Shamanism is an old healing culture as defined. It is a method used by the people to

connect with the environment. A shaman is a person that can be described as the custodian of the

original spiritual practices of the various cultures. It creates a way for human beings to

experience a connection to nature. The shamans are considered to have specific capabilities that

are beyond human beings (Rosado & Moreno, 2015).

The healing is based on the aspect of connecting with nature. The culture emanates from

nature. The cure is found on the power of the Mother Nature pegged on the old teachings are

based form the truths held by nature. The treatment is channeled towards the healing of self and

community. The spiritual aspect also allows for the continued holistic growth of the people. The

goal is to create a channeled affection to all the good that the environment offers. The treatment

is driven by the ceremonies to show respect to the nature that may help in good luck. The rituals

are meant to ensure that they meet the healing needs of the society.

Question 3: Religion

Rituals were conducted to ensure that the people maintained a connection with God. They

were meant to create a link between them and the supernatural beings. The rituals are patterned

forms of behavior that have to do with the supernatural realm. Rituals are a show of acceptance

to the endowment of the society (Rapport, 2014). Examples of such rituals are pilgrimage. It is a

trip to a place that is considered sacred and is a form of religious devotion. Another ritual

practice is the use of sacrifices. The actions referred to the action of offering something to the

supernatural. Sacrifices are actions that are geared towards pleasing the deities. The riuals are
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therefore important in ensuring that there is a connection between the people and the provider of

nature.

The people need a connection to the supreme being due to the nature of the unexplained

issues that constitute the nature. People use religion to find the meaning and order in their lives.

They are geared towards meeting the unexplainable truths of nature. The religious beliefs can be

accredited to the happiness that people feel (Lim, 2016). The importance of nature is that it

allows the people to provide answers to the issues that baffle the society. The attachment to a

supernatural being is the way of the religion to explain the things that baffle the human beings.
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References

Brown, N., Tubelle de Gonzalez, L., & McIlwraith, T. (2017). Perspectives: An Open Invitation

to Cultural Anthropology. American Anthropological Association 2300 Clarendon Blvd,

Suite 1301 Arlington, VA 22201

Lim, C. (2016). Religion, Time Use, and Affective Well-Being. Sociological Science, 3, 685-

709.

Rapport, N. (2014). Social and cultural anthropology: The key concepts. Routledge.

Rosado, J. R., & Moreno, M. I. (2015). The role of myths and plant diseases in the Wayuu ethnic

group, Guajira, Colombia. Pharmacology Online, 2, 124-130.