states and empires social and political organization

egalitarian

little difference in access to resources

ranked

individuals attain formal social status but most individuals have access to the resources needed to survive

movie: ppl like us - what did this movie demonstrate regarding class in the us?

class is real but us avoids talking abt it, is not just income but tied to culture, class mobility is limited and passed down

stratified

social and economic inequality

social power

ability to force one’s will on others for personal interest

authority

legitimacy an individual has as a result of their social position

band

small groups composed of related individuals

tribe

larger group sharing an identity based on descent

chiefdom

large population (thousands) of individuals related through ancestry or marriage

state

larger than other social groups, membership is not based on kinship

bureaucracies

enforce law; internal - police, external - military

what are three trends in social and political organization

1. degree of social and political specialization has increased

2. increasingly centralized power and authority

3. positions of power have been restricted to smaller subsets of society