Little Communities
The author of the book state that the little community has been the dominant form of living in the history of mankind. The small community has made it easier for anthropologists to invest in a particular community with ease and with no disparities whatsoever. This is because the small community has the same culture and beliefs; hence they have the same history. Four categories uniquely play identifying factors, and this includes distinctiveness, smallness, homogeneity, and all providing self-sufficient. Distinctiveness is where a community starts and where it end and only an outsider can accurately identify this. Smallness refers to the small community being a unit of personal observation that is representative of the whole. The homogeneity category refers to the community being alike in that the activities and beliefs of all the people making it are similar. All providing and self-sufficient means that the community can provide for itself and meet the needs of its people and the environment. This essay explores the summaries of the four communities, which are Hualcan, Springdale, The Vice Lords, and The Iks, and whether they fit the categories of little community characteristics. It also provides reasons as to why a community fits to be a small community and, if not, why based on the variables that define a small community.
Hualcan, Peru, 1952
Distinctiveness is a category that defines where a community begins and ends. Hualcan meets the criteria of being distinctive in that it has its land and is made of the same tribe that is Indians. The narrator can distinguish and bring out the unique characteristics of the community as being farmers and living together.
The smallness category is met by the Hualcan community by how it is well organized. The community shares the same language, traditions, and culture in that one can direct personal acquaintance with a section of it and get the same results as involving the whole population. It is a unit that they carry out some activities and has the same organization in terms of leadership and religion.
Homogeneity has activities and state of mind being alike for all people in similar age and sex positions. They have similar economic activities, which are farming. They share the same religious activities in which they take time and resources for the festivals which are attended and respected by all.
All providing and self-sufficient means that the community can provide all or most of the needs of its people. The Hualcan can provide most of its needs through farming, pooling resources together to get what they do not have, and accommodating the new couples into their households. They, however, have to buy some items from other communities by working and getting wages.
Springdale, New York, 1958
Distinctiveness is being unique from the rest and can easily be noticed as different. Springdale was a town occupied by people who were farmers and spoke the same language. The town, therefore, qualified to be a little community based on this category.
Smallness is being more enormous but homogenous. The town had a large population of 2500 people, which people who were not homogenous as more than one third were not born in the town. The community, therefore, does not qualify to be a little community based on this category or variable.
Homogeneity is having a state of mind and activities being alike for all persons of corresponding age and sex. Despite a good number of the Springdalers being farmers, others were business people and carry out trading activities. Others worked at the community school. They, therefore, had varying states of mind; hence the community does not qualify to be a little community based on this category.
Self-sufficient and all providing is a category that defines a community as being able to provide its self for its needs. The people were farmers and traded with one another to get what the other did not provide. The traders relied on the famers for products to sell, and the famers would buy from the traders what they did not produce. The millers relied on the farmers for raw materials and labor; hence this community qualified as a small community based on this category.
The Vice Lords, Chicago, 1967.
Distinctiveness is the uniqueness of a community. The Vice Lords was a unique group with similar characteristics and organizations hence qualified to be a little community based on this category. The social organization was likened to a federation, meaning it was well organized and functional.
The smallness category is the “unit of personal observation fully representative of a whole.” The community of Vice Lords was made up of a group of people who lived together and acted in the same way. Violent was the way of protecting themselves. The Vice Lords qualified as little community based on this category.
Homogenous means being alike and state of mind that are much the same in sex and age correspondence. The Vice Lords was made up of people of different ages with a similar mindset of protecting one another. Some members would opt-out and raise families and occasionally join the group. The community does not, therefore, qualify as little community based on this category.
Self-sufficient and all providing is being able to meet the needs of the community from within. The sole group purpose was to protect one another, and they did achieve this hence qualified as a little community based on this category.
The IKS, Uganda, 1967
Distinctiveness is “where the community begins and where it ends apparent.” The Iks lived in a unique region and territory and would easily be identified by a community living in clustered isolated villages. The community qualifies to be a little community based on this category.
Smallness is being the unit of personal observation that is an entire representation of the whole. The community had a small population and had similar activities, which were hunters and gatherers. However, they would not share their meals, which were common among the people. The Iks qualify to be little community based on this category.
Homogenous is having the same state of mind and being alike for age and sex correspondence. The men would beat their wives and even throw them out of their homes. Weaker children would die of hunger as they were unable to compete for food like the rest. Older people would be thrown to the bush to die as it was a common occurrence. The Iks qualifies to be a small community based on this variable and category.
Self-sufficient and all providing refers to where the community can meet all or most of its needs. The Iks community had scarce resources and would rely on the outside world for supplies like helping cattle raiders so that they are given food. They never practiced agriculture and were not successful hunters. Based on this category, the Iks do not qualify as little communities.
The Hutterites, Jasper, Canada, 1967
Distinctiveness is the uniqueness of a group or community. Their unique religion and lifestyle know the Hutterites of Hutterite brethren John W. Bennet. They live in colonized groups that they have acquired hence can be identified easily. They, therefore, qualify to be little community based on this category.
Smallness is where a personal observation is representative of the whole. The community qualifies in this by the fact that it is made up of small numbers of 150 people per settlement (colony). A settlement has to be kept small so that it can be manageable.
Homogenous is having a state of mind and activities that are alike in age and sex correspondence. The Hutterites are farmers as they full commitment to rural life and their religion. The community, therefore, qualify to be a little community based on this category.
Self-sufficient and all providing is a category where the community can provide for all or almost all its needs, and it is self-reliant. The community buys land to settle and make their territories in the form of colonies. They depend on agriculture, and in times of shortages, they depend on their stores and not outside help or trading. This Hutterite hence qualifies to be little community based on this category.
Works Cited
Kiniry, Malcolm, and Mike Rose. “Summaries of Studies on Community.” Critical Strategies. 3rd ed. Malcolm Kiniry and Mike Rose. Boston: St. Martin’s, 1998. 316-19.