JOURNAL: Civilized Tribalism

As globalization continues to open the lid of Pandora's box, we will see a resurgence of tribes and tribal warfare (see the brief "Networked Tribes" 17 August 2005). When it does reassert itself, its emergence can be sudden and violent, as we saw with the rapid devolution of Kenya recently. Intriguingly, it appears that some Kenyan tribal conflicts have reverted to a classic and relatively civilized form of warfare: a daytime battlefield that pits two groups of men armed with bows and arrows (manufactured via a community effort akin to a quilting bee) against each other. Zohra Bensemra of Reuters has an amazing photo essay on the situation.

MORE: The brilliant David Ronfeldt from RAND has some excellent articles/papers on modern tribalism that will eventually (hopefully) be compiled into a book. See:

• In Search of How Societies Work. Tribes -- The First and Forever Form.
• Tribal Segmental Warfare.
• Tribes, Institutions, Markets, Networks: A Framework about Social Evolution.

Comments

[Duncan Kinder]

For those interested how tribalism ( or clan warfare, to be a bit more precise ) worked in early modern pre-Westphalian Europe, consider reading Steel Bonnets: The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers, by George MacDonald Fraser ( of Flashman fame )

blurb:

"If Jesus Christ were amongst them, they would deceive him," it was said of the plunders, raiders, and outlaws who terrorized the Anglo-Scottish Border for over 300 years. Theirs is an almost forgotten chapter of British history, preserved largely in folktales and ballads. It is the story of the notorious raiding families--Armstrongs, Elliots, Grahams, Johnstones, Maxwells, Scotts, Kerrs, Nixons, and others--of the outlaw bands and broken men, and the fierce battles of English and Scottish armies across the Marches. The Steel Bonnets tells their true story in its historical context-- how the reivers ran their raids and operated their system of blackmail and terrorism, and how the March Wardens, enforcing the unique Border law, fought the great lawless community. A superb work of scholarship and a spellbinding narrative. George MacDonald Fraser is the celebrated author of the Flashman novels, The Candlemass Road, The Pyrates, and the Private McAuslan stories.

:end_of_blurb

http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Bonnets-Anglo-Scottish-Border-Reivers/dp/0002727463/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205591454&sr=8-1

[Padre]

Is it really a 'resurgence of tribes and tribal warfare'? Or just a result of pre/post-colonial impact of Western states on colonized 'countries' (regions would be more appropriate)?

Especially with today's (Western-influenced) international community that tends to look for general policies and blueprints (such as a constant approach of collapsed states with the Westphalian model) to the issues of state collapse and civil conflict.
Moreover, the creation of Western-types economies in the ‘third world’ generates a new form of dependence (a form of neo-colonialism?) that might also be at the roots of some civil conflicts…