Question

Tribe meaning definition and characteristics

Answer 1

Meaning of Tribes- The native people of a place living in groups and sharing the same culture, dialect, food habits, and religion are known as tribes. They are thought to dwell in the more remote areas and many of them still survive without the basic requirements such as adequate shelter and sanitation.

Definition of tribes:

• The Oxford Dictionary of Sociology defines tribes as a social group living together in a territory and connected through kinship. The members of a tribe cooperate among themselves and enjoy political autonomy over their territory.  
• W.H.R. Rivers defined a tribe as simply a group where the members share a standard dialect, a government, and act together for such common purposes as warfare.

Characteristics of Tribes:

1. Kinship plays a very important in tribal life. The entire foundation of tribes is based on the existence of brotherhood and kinship among the members.
2. There are no hierarchical statuses present in a tribe. All members are considered to be equal. Dominant-subordinate relation is considered to be harmful by the tribes.
3. There is no presence of formal organizations or institutions. They all are assigned their works, but they do not form any official groups for the tasks.
4. A single clan is responsible for a large joint productive territory. All the members play their distinct roles in the production of food.