A Theory for the Dynamics of Chiefdoms and an Origin of the State

• In Event: 263 - Section on Social Psychology Paper Session. Social Psychological Approaches to Collective Action and Social Movements

Abstract

A new theory presented here traces social structural dynamics of chiefdoms as precursors to the state. Unlike previous theories that focus on external conditions, the new theory focuses on the internal structure of the chiefdom and its dynamics. While agreeing with Carneiro that conflict is a necessary condition for the origin of the state, instead of population pressure and circumscription, the new theory finds the origin of conflict in attempts to stabilize the chiefdom as a structure of privilege. The search for stability, in turn, produces a series of structural transformations that lead toward state formation. Further sources of instability beyond those previously theorized are introduced. Finally, the theory is extended to cover the transition from paramount chiefdom to archaic state. Included in that extension is the explanation of how private property in land originates and why it changes from claimed sole ownership by the ruler to ownership by an elite, a transition that produces class stratification. We conclude by pointing to tests the theory has survived and to how it can be further tested.

Authors

• David Willer, University of South Carolina

• Pamela E. Emanuelson, North Dakota State University