11. Types of Political Organizations
Stateless Societies
“Stateless societies or acephalous societies are characterized by
the following:”
● “They lack government and social classification.”
● “They are usually small-scale groups that create decisions
through consensus or voting systems.”
● “They are culturally homogenous, implying that cultural
traditions and practices across the society are the same for
all its members.”
● “They usually enforce group norms through kin groups,
which are highly respected as they primarily hold social
control and regulation.”
● “They are primarily agriculturally-dependent.”
● “An example of a stateless society is the Nuer group from
South Sudan.”
11
12. “State societies or cephalous societies are characterized by the
following:”
● “They have a central governmental institution, authority, and
judicial power over its people.”
● “Wealth, status, and privilege correspond to authority and power.”
● “Their borders or territories are strictly guarded in order to
preserve resources and protect the society from threats of harm
and violence.”
● “They are commonly culturally heterogeneous.”
● “The leaders of state societies need to foster good relationships
with leaders from other state societies to avoid conflict or war, to
facilitate economic and financial stability, and to acquire better
opportunities for the state.”
● “The leaders are usually appointed or voted on by members of
the group.”
State Societies
12
15. I Can Fill It!
15
Classification of
Societies
What social
structure exists in
this society?
How do people find
food to survive?
What system of
governance does this
society have?
Give an
example of this
type of society
bands
tribes
chiefdoms
states
Teacher’s script:
Provide the following instructions to the class:
Examine this image. What does it portray?
Who are the people or institutions who have the social control to maintain peace and order in society?
Write or place the positions of these people and offices or institutions inside the hand.
Explain what mechanisms do these people or institutions use to maintain social order.
Use the learners' responses to define social order and its importance.
Teacher’s script:
“Article III, Section 4 of the Philippine Constitution states the protection of our right to self-expression and voice grievances towards the government. In the 21st century, people can easily exercise this right through social media. This new platform for political participation allows citizens to express opinions on societal issues and make their concerns heard. It can also be an avenue to form a network of like-minded individuals to voice a more vigorous protest and influence public opinion. According to the Digital Report 2022, Filipinos are avid internet and social media users, ranking second globally, with users aged 16 to 64 spending an average of six hours and 58 minutes online daily. The Philippines ranks second globally (Baclig 2022).
Expressing dissent online was particularly relevant during the pandemic when the authorities threatened freedom of expression. Criticisms against the government were met with punishment and arrests. The president, as head of the law enforcement branch, ordered state forces to “shoot to kill” troublemakers, which many understood as those who questioned his policies. More than 17,000 have been arrested for violating quarantine rules (Amnesty International 2020). The president also dared the political community to wage a revolution so that he could use his forces to counter it. Netizens hit back with a creative hashtag “#OustDuterte” that trended on Twitter and spawned numerous memes (Claravall 2020).
With mass gatherings still banned in 2020, progressive groups organized the first online protest in May to continue the Labor Day tradition (Rey 2020). With on-ground mobilizers being arrested, youth leaders eagerly utilized the internet to echo the public's disagreement over the government’s pandemic response (Arroyo 2020). These developments showed how innovations facilitate communication between the government and the public and provide a new avenue for citizens to extract accountability from the authorities legitimized by their votes..”
Teacher’s script:
Ask one or two learners this question.“How does legitimacy bind the power and authority in political organizations?”
Teacher : An authority viewed as legitimate often has the right and justification to exercise power. Political legitimacy is considered a basic condition for governing, without which a government will suffer legislative deadlock (halt/stop) and collapse
Teacher’s script:
Use this prompt to introduce the activity:
“Let’s do a fun activity! Do you like solving puzzles?”
Provide the following instructions to the class:
Guess the picture and the words.
Explain a characteristic of the type of society based on the picture.
Teacher’s script:
Ask the following questions to process the activity:
What do these words represent? What is their purpose?
Does the lack of an organized political system lead to a chaotic society? Explain your answer.
Why would heterogeneous(diverse, diversified, vary, assorted) societies benefit from establishing political structures?
How would you differentiate a state from a chiefdom?
Teacher’s script:
Ask one or two learners this question:
“How important is the establishment of social control in societies?”
Ensue –happen or occur afterward or as a result
Teacher’s script:
“Political organizations force individuals to adapt to the rules for the goodwill of society. According to Beals and Hoijer, political organizations are accomplished through leaders who commit to the interest of the group and who work towards social welfare.”
Refer to page 4 of the Study guide.
Teacher’s script:
Discuss the following concepts. Refer to pages 4–6 of the Study guide.
“Stateless societies or acephalous societies are characterized by the following:”
“They lack government and social classification.”
“They are usually small-scale groups that create decisions through consensus or voting systems.”
“They are culturally homogenous, implying that cultural traditions and practices across the society are the same for all its members.”
“They usually enforce group norms through kin groups, which are highly respected as they primarily hold social control and regulation.”
“They are primarily agriculturally-dependent.”
“An example of a stateless society is the Nuer group from South Sudan.”
“State societies or cephalous societies are characterized by the following:”
“They have a central governmental institution, authority, and judicial power over its people.”
“Wealth, status, and privilege correspond to authority and power.”
“Their borders or territories are strictly guarded in order to preserve resources and protect the society from threats of harm and violence.”
“They are commonly culturally heterogeneous.”
“The leaders of state societies need to foster good relationships with leaders from other state societies to avoid conflict or war, to facilitate economic and financial stability, and to acquire better opportunities for the state.”
“The leaders are usually appointed or voted on by members of the group.”
Teacher’s script:
Discuss the following concepts. Refer to pages 4–6 of the Study guide.
“Stateless societies or acephalous societies are characterized by the following:”
“They lack government and social classification.”
“They are usually small-scale groups that create decisions through consensus or voting systems.”
“They are culturally homogenous, implying that cultural traditions and practices across the society are the same for all its members.”
“They usually enforce group norms through kin groups, which are highly respected as they primarily hold social control and regulation.”
“They are primarily agriculturally-dependent.”
“An example of a stateless society is the Nuer group from South Sudan.”
“State societies or cephalous societies are characterized by the following:”
“They have a central governmental institution, authority, and judicial power over its people.”
“Wealth, status, and privilege correspond to authority and power.”
“Their borders or territories are strictly guarded in order to preserve resources and protect the society from threats of harm and violence.”
“They are commonly culturally heterogeneous.”
“The leaders of state societies need to foster good relationships with leaders from other state societies to avoid conflict or war, to facilitate economic and financial stability, and to acquire better opportunities for the state.”
“The leaders are usually appointed or voted on by members of the group.”
Teacher’s script:
Discuss the following concepts. Refer to pages 4–6 of the Study guide.
“Stateless societies or acephalous societies are characterized by the following:”
“They lack government and social classification.”
“They are usually small-scale groups that create decisions through consensus or voting systems.”
“They are culturally homogenous, implying that cultural traditions and practices across the society are the same for all its members.”
“They usually enforce group norms through kin groups, which are highly respected as they primarily hold social control and regulation.”
“They are primarily agriculturally-dependent.”
“An example of a stateless society is the Nuer group from South Sudan.”
“State societies or cephalous societies are characterized by the following:”
“They have a central governmental institution, authority, and judicial power over its people.”
“Wealth, status, and privilege correspond to authority and power.”
“Their borders or territories are strictly guarded in order to preserve resources and protect the society from threats of harm and violence.”
“They are commonly culturally heterogeneous.”
“The leaders of state societies need to foster good relationships with leaders from other state societies to avoid conflict or war, to facilitate economic and financial stability, and to acquire better opportunities for the state.”
“The leaders are usually appointed or voted on by members of the group.”
Teacher’s script:
“There are two types of acephalous societies: bands and tribes.“
A band society, sometimes called a camp, or in older usage, a horde, is the simplest form of human society. A band generally consists of a small kin group, no larger than an extended family or clan.
Discuss the classification of societies. Refer to pages 6–7 of the Study guide.
Ask the class this question:
“Do you think there are still bands and tribes that exist today?”
Teacher’s script:
“Let us talk about societies with organized political systems, with some being more complex than the others.”
Discuss the following classifications of society. Refer to pages 7–8 of the Study guide.
Ask this question:
“What is the difference between a chiefdom and a state?”
chiefdoms are societies in which everyone is ranked relative to the chief, states are socially stratified into largely distinct classes in terms of wealth, power, and prestige. A government type in which a single person has unlimited authority (Authocracy)
xperts generally agree on several historical examples of autocracies, some of which are ongoing:
The Soviet Union while ruled by Joseph Stalin
Italy while ruled by Benito Mussolini
Japan while ruled by Hirohito
Germany while ruled by Adolf Hitler
China while ruled by Mao Zedong
Cuba while ruled by Fidel Castro
Venezuela while ruled by Nicolas Maduro
Russia while ruled by Vladimir Putin
Autocratic leadership is focused on results and task completion, while authoritarian leadership focuses on control and order.
Autocratic leaders tend to be more open to input from their team members, while authoritarian leaders often maintain a strict hierarchy within the group
Teacher’s script:
Use this prompt to introduce the activity:
“In this activity, we will determine the characteristics of the different types of societies.”
Provide the following instructions to the class:
Form four groups.
Complete the template.
Afterwards, present your output to the class.
Ask the following questions to process the activity:
Which classifications of societies are acephalous and which are cephalous?
How does social control affect society?
How does the economic structure of societies affect their political organization?
The principle that government must maintain an attitude and neutrality toward religion.
Teacher’s script:
“According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (2023), more than 80 percent of Filipinos are Roman Catholic, 5.06 percent are Muslims, 2.82 percent are Evangelicals, and the remaining percentage is divided by many other denominations. Religion has always played a vital role in Philippine society. Churches host different rituals, ceremonies, and adjurations and provide moral purpose for the existence of society members.
The government sometimes joins religious celebrations and even declares holidays so people may properly commemorate them. Church leaders are considered traditional authorities whose opinions are valued. However, there are instances when citizens would criticize church leadership for releasing statements or positions on political issues. The criticisms often cite a provision in the 1987 Philippine Constitution on the separation of the church and the state. This provision is often misinterpreted. Article II, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution declares the separation of church and state to limit the state's power and promote religious freedom. The provision does not prohibit church leaders to express their opinion about issues in the government as they are also citizens of the state regardless of their religious beliefs and affiliations. As states are heterogeneous communities, they are not allowed to favor one religion over the other and use public funds to implement one religion.”