Chapter 8 Political and Legal Systems
Chapter 8 discusses two types of anthropology political anthropology and legal anthropology. Legal anthropology addresses social order, social conflicts, and how those conflicts are brought to resolution. Political anthropology is the study of power, authority, and influence. The political and legal systems are important part to each culture in the world. Politics is the vehicle by which power, authority and influence are gained. One point that was made by Barbara Miller in the text is that power is the strongest incentive for decision making and probably the least moral. It is not an accident that the world dictators may start out benevolent and end up corrupt or that some congressmen and senators are law abiding citizens when running for office but after election find them in ethical or legal trouble. Absolute power does have a tendency to corrupt. There are four types of political organizations that are responsible for decision making, leadership, maintaining order, protecting group rights, and protecting the society from external threats. The political organizations are:
1. The Band
a) Characterized by informal Leadership
b) Flexibility
c) If a band member has a serious disagreement with another person or spouse he/she leaves the Band and joins another.
2. The Tribe
a) More formal than the Band
b) The Tribe consists of many Bands
c) The Tribe has a headman or head woman leader
d) Big-man/Big-woman political systems exert influence over several different villages.
3. The Chiefdom
a) Include several thousand people
b) Rank is inherited
c) Social division exists, linage and commoners
4. The State
a) Centralized political unit
b) Includes many communities
c) Possesses coercive power
d) Most states are hierarchical and patriarchal
Legal anthropology studies social order and conflict. Recently legal anthropologists have determined that legal institutions often times support and therefore maintain social inequities and injustice. Social control rather than punishment is the main goal of small scale societies. The State on the other hand uses punishments as severe as the death penalty or imprisonment. Interestingly legal anthropologists have determined that high levels of violence in societies are not universal and are associated with the State than with the Band, Tribe, or Chiefdom. Presently cultural anthropologists are attempting to determine a solution to global conflicts by studying peace keeping solutions.
One of the most interesting items in Chapter 8 was the information given about Hawaii. Hawaii was ruled in 1891 by Queen Lili’uokalani. In an immoral display of power several businessmen both American and European deposed her. Queen Liliuokalani was the last reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Islands. She felt her mission was to preserve the islands for their native residents. In 1898, Hawaii was annexed to the United States and Queen Liliuokalani was forced to give up her throne.
Queen Liliuokalani was born in Honolulu to high chief Kapaakea and the chiefess Keohokalole, the third of ten children. Her brother was King Kalakaua. Liliuokalani was adopted at birth, at age 4; her adoptive parents enrolled her in the Royal School. There she became fluent in English and influenced by Congregational missionaries. She also became part of the royal circle.
Upon the death of her brother, King Kalakauam Liliuokalani ascended the throne of Hawaii in January 1891. One of her first acts was to recommend a new Hawaii constitution, as the "Bayonet Constitution" of 1887 limited the power of the monarch and political power of native Hawaiians. This of course was not acceptable to American or European businessmen who had a financial interest in Hawaii they used power, money and influence to put in to place a legal maneuver to oust the rightful ruler the Queen. In 1890, United States used economic tactics to ensure power in the Hawaiian Islands. The McKinley Tariff began to cause a recession in the islands by withdrawing the safeguards ensuring a mainland market for Hawaiian sugar. American interests in Hawaii began to consider annexation for Hawaii to re-establish an economic competitive position for sugar. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani sought to empower herself and Hawaiians through a new constitution which she herself had drawn up and now desired to proclaim as the new law of the land. It should Queen Liliuokalani's right as a sovereign to issue a new constitution through an edict from the throne. A group led by Sanford B. Dole, the pineapple giant sought to overthrow the institution of the monarchy. The American minister in Hawaii, requested troops to take control of governmental buildings. In 1894, the Queen, was deposed, the monarchy abrogated, and a provisional government was established which later became the Republic of Hawaii. On July 4, 1894, the Republic of Hawaii with Sanford B. Dole as president was proclaimed. It was recognized immediately by the United States government.
Queen Liliuokalani was born in Honolulu to high chief Kapaakea and the chiefess Keohokalole, the third of ten children. Her brother was King Kalakaua. Liliuokalani was adopted at birth, at age 4; her adoptive parents enrolled her in the Royal School. There she became fluent in English and influenced by Congregational missionaries. She also became part of the royal circle.
Upon the death of her brother, King Kalakauam Liliuokalani ascended the throne of Hawaii in January 1891. One of her first acts was to recommend a new Hawaii constitution, as the "Bayonet Constitution" of 1887 limited the power of the monarch and political power of native Hawaiians. This of course was not acceptable to American or European businessmen who had a financial interest in Hawaii they used power, money and influence to put in to place a legal maneuver to oust the rightful ruler the Queen. In 1890, United States used economic tactics to ensure power in the Hawaiian Islands. The McKinley Tariff began to cause a recession in the islands by withdrawing the safeguards ensuring a mainland market for Hawaiian sugar. American interests in Hawaii began to consider annexation for Hawaii to re-establish an economic competitive position for sugar. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani sought to empower herself and Hawaiians through a new constitution which she herself had drawn up and now desired to proclaim as the new law of the land. It should Queen Liliuokalani's right as a sovereign to issue a new constitution through an edict from the throne. A group led by Sanford B. Dole, the pineapple giant sought to overthrow the institution of the monarchy. The American minister in Hawaii, requested troops to take control of governmental buildings. In 1894, the Queen, was deposed, the monarchy abrogated, and a provisional government was established which later became the Republic of Hawaii. On July 4, 1894, the Republic of Hawaii with Sanford B. Dole as president was proclaimed. It was recognized immediately by the United States government.
Sadly this is a good example of how power and influence can be used not for the good of the people but for financial gain. This leads credence to the statement that power is not necessarily moral.
History of the Hawaiian Kingdom by Norris W. Potter, Lawrence M. Kasdon, ARayson
Kuykendall, R.S. (1967) The Hawaiian Kingdom, 1874–1893. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, p. 474.
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