Assessment Questions 9.3

1. What does anthropologist Elman Service refer to as "the institutionalization of power"?

Anthropologist Elman Service refers to "the institutionalization of power" as the system expands geographically. Group labor projects and the broader redistribution of food and goods have a "politically integrative effect." This process leads to the development of social strata, with a leader or chief and the chief's family at the top of the social pyramid.

2. How does the role of leaders, or chiefs, change as societies grow and more importance is vested in them?

As societies grow and more importance is vested in leaders, the role of leaders may change. The expansion geographically leads to the "institutionalization of power," and social strata may develop. The leader or chief, along with the chief's family, may be at the top of the social pyramid. Chieftainship may be passed down from parent to child, further solidifying the position of the chief's family in the upper echelon of a stratified social system.

3. What is a chiefdom, and how does it differ from a tribe and a state in terms of socio-political integration?

A chiefdom is a level of socio-political integration more complex than a tribe but less so than a state. The social system is ranked, not egalitarian. In a chiefdom, there is a leader or chief at the top, possibly with subordinate regional chiefs, and a broad base of the social pyramid comprising most of the population.