stadlin@hou2h.UUCP (Art Stadlin) (05/09/85)
According to my dictionary, TRIBE is defined as follows:
"group of people united by race and customs under the same
leaders: America was once the home of many Indian tribes."
This definition, and the way people use the word tribe,
seems to be consistent to me. But I would disagree with
the wording because I believe that many Indian tribes
still exist in America (on reservations). I think of the
Australian Aborigines as a tribe, and the Eskimo groups
as tribes. Likewise, from what I've seen on TV, there are
many tribes in Africa.
Do you dislike the word tribe? I suppose the word does have
slight "primitive" or "barbarian" overtones to it. What word
would you rather see used? Clan? NO... that's even worse!
--
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\\\\ Art Stadlin
\\\\\\________!{akgua,ihnp4,houxm}!hou2h!stadlinblatt@Glacier.ARPA (Miriam Blatt) (05/10/85)
> > According to my dictionary, TRIBE is defined as follows: > > "group of people united by race and customs under the same > leaders: America was once the home of many Indian tribes." > > still exist in America (on reservations). I think of the > Australian Aborigines as a tribe, and the Eskimo groups > as tribes. Likewise, from what I've seen on TV, there are > many tribes in Africa. > Correction: there are many Australian Aborigine tribes, in much the same way as there are many American Indian tribes. Miriam Blatt blatt@su-amadeus.arpa ...!decvax!decwrl!amadeus
colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (05/14/85)
> > Does anyone out there know why people talk about tribes only when referring > > to African peoples? > > It seems to me that one speaks about 'tribes' when talking about African > people primarily because that is the method of organization that those people > have chosen. I'm not an anthropologist, but I think that there are segments > of the Arabic and Semitic people that use the term tribe. There are tribes > in Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and Borneo. There are tribes in > South and Central America. There are even the remnants of once proud tribes > in North America. Perhaps we are all members of a tribe? Certainly this is > not unique to Africa, black or any other color. A tribe is a social unit organized by direct communication--for example, face-to-face speech. The "nations" of the world have discarded tribalism for central nationalism, which is organized by print communication. Electronics is undoing this, and promises to organize the whole world into one big "tribe." -- Col. G. L. Sicherman ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel
macrakis@harvard.ARPA (Stavros Macrakis) (05/15/85)
> A tribe is a social unit organized by direct communication--for example, > face-to-face speech. The "nations" of the world have discarded tribalism > for central nationalism, which is organized by print communication. Rubbish. You can have nationalism without literacy, and tribalism with it. > Electronics is undoing this, and promises to organize the whole world into > one big "tribe." Tribalism refers not to whether people communicate, but whether they identify themselves and others as members of some ethnic group. There is no evidence that ethnic consciousness is diminished by modern communications.
crs@lanl.ARPA (05/16/85)
> > > Does anyone out there know why people talk about tribes only when referring > > > to African peoples? > > > > It seems to me that one speaks about 'tribes' when talking about African > > people primarily because that is the method of organization that those people > > have chosen. I'm not an anthropologist, but I think that there are segments > > of the Arabic and Semitic people that use the term tribe. There are tribes > > in Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and Borneo. There are tribes in > > South and Central America. There are even the remnants of once proud tribes > > in North America. Perhaps we are all members of a tribe? Certainly this is > > not unique to Africa, black or any other color. > > A tribe is a social unit organized by direct communication--for example, > face-to-face speech. The "nations" of the world have discarded tribalism > for central nationalism, which is organized by print communication. > Electronics is undoing this, and promises to organize the whole world into > one big "tribe." > -- American Heritage Dictionary: tribe 1. A social organization or division comprising several local villages, bands, lineages, or other groups and sharing a common ancestry, language, culture, and name. 2. A group having a common distinguishing characteristic. [<L _tribus_, division of the Roman people.] Charlie
colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (05/20/85)
> > A tribe is a social unit organized by direct communication--for example, > > face-to-face speech. The "nations" of the world have discarded tribalism > > for central nationalism, which is organized by print communication. > > Electronics is undoing this, and promises to organize the whole world into > > one big "tribe." > > American Heritage Dictionary: > > tribe 1. A social organization or division comprising several local > villages, bands, lineages, or other groups and sharing a common > ancestry, language, culture, and name. > 2. A group having a common distinguishing characteristic. [<L _tribus_, > division of the Roman people.] We all seem to have different ideas of what "tribe" means. The original question (I think) was whether membership in a "tribe" is inferior to membership in "civilization." As for the American Heritage Dictionary, dictionaries deal with usage rather than understanding. Definition 2 does not bear on the discussion. Definition 1 has some weaknesses; for example, a "common name" tells us nothing about the nature of tribalism. Can the world become a tribe? It has a common ancestry (Adam and Eve or Java Man, whichever you like), and is developing a common culture. Why do some people form tribes and others form countries? Ethnicity is not the issue. In fact, most "ethnic groups" in the U.S. are actually grouped by national origin. By the way, my Merriam-Webster Collegiate gives six definitions, of which the most pertinent is: "3. More loosely, any aggregation of people, esp. in a primitive or nomadic state, believed to be of a common stock and acting under a central authority, as of a chief." I think this is far more precise than the A.H.'s definition. -- Col. G. L. Sicherman ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel