TYPES OF SOCIETIES

http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d10/asb/anthro2003/glues/societyintro.html

Anthropologists tend to classify different societies according to the degree to which

different groups within a society have unequal access to advantages such as resources,
prestige or power. (Useful definitions.) Virtually all societies have developed some
degree of inequality among their people through the process of social stratification-the
division of members of a society into strata (or levels) with unequal wealth, prestige
or power. Differences lie in how societies treat the inequalities. Some may downplay
them so they become transparent and insignificant (egalitarian societies) while others
will accent inequalities (ranked and class-based societies). Three different types of
societies can generally recognized: egalitarian societies, ranked societies and class-
based societies.
Egalitarian societal members tend to treat each other as equals. Wealth differences are
few as is the amount of power available to any individual or group. The people
possess norms that emphasize sharing and ideals of interpersonal equality. This is not
to say that stratification is non-existent in these societies. In comparison with
nonegalitarian societies, however, stratification is relatively insignificant. Even when
someone like a bigman is present, prestige is important and linked to redistribution.
However, the bigman gives more than he receives as his role as a redistributor is
defined. If he hordes or possesses too much, he will lose the recognition as a bigman.
In effect, he is a member of society as an equal who has a defined role that carries
prestige but not wealth and recognition but not status. (See reading on egalitarian
hierarchies.)
In ranked societies people are divided into hierarchically ordered groups that differ in
terms of prestige, but not significantly in terms of access to resources or power.
Within this context it is possible to identify persons we can label as chiefs whose
inherited position and prestige is often linked to the redistribution of goods.
In class-based societies people are divided into hierarchically ordered groups that
differ in terms of access not only to prestige, but also to resources and power. Western
capitalist societies have distinct classes (e.g. upper class, middle class, poor), but
mobility amongst the classes sometimes occurs through activities such as education,
marriage or hard work. For similar reasons to those mentioned above, it is not
appropriate to describe the Net as a class-based society.
Types of societies . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_societies

are categories of social groups that differ according to subsistence strategies; the way that
humans use technology to provide needs for themselves. Although humans have established
many types of societies throughout history, anthropologists tend to classify different societies
according to the degree to which different groups within a society have unequal access to
advantages such as resources, prestige or power. Virtually all societies have developed some
degree of inequality among their people through the process of social stratification-the division
of members of a society into levels with unequal wealth, prestige or power. Sociologists place
societies in three broad categories: pre-industrial, industrial, and postindustrial.

[edit] Pre-industrial Societies

In a pre-industrial society, food production; which is carried out through the use of human and
animal labor; is the main economic activity. These societies can be subdivided according to their
level of technology and their method of producing food. These subdivisions are hunting and
gathering, pastoral, horticultural, agricultural and feudal.
Hunting and Gathering Societies
The main form of food production in such societies is the daily collection of wild plants and the
hunting of wild animals. Hunter-gatherers move around constantly in search of food. As a result,
they do not build permanent villages or create a wide variety of artifacts and usually only form
small groups such as Bands and Tribes, however some Hunting and Gathering Societies in areas
with abundant resources (such as the Tlingit) lived in larger groups and formed complex
hierarchical social structures such as chiefdoms. The need for mobility also limits the size of
these societies. They generally consist of fewer than 60 people and rarely exceed 100. Statuses
within the tribe are relatively equal, and decisions are reached through general agreement. The
ties that bind the tribe are more complicated than those of the bands. Leadership is personal-
charismatic-and for special purposes only in tribal society; there are no political offices
containing real power, and a chief is merely a person of influence, a sort of adviser; therefore,
tribal consolidation for collective action are not governmental. The family forms the main social
unit, with most societal members being related by birth or by marriage. This type of organization
requires the family to carry out most social functions; including production and education.
Pastoral Societies
Pastoralism is a slightly more efficient form of subsistence. Rather than searching for food on a
daily basis, members of a pastoral society rely on domesticated herd animals to meet their food
needs. Pastoralists live a normadic life, moving their herds from pasture to another. Because their
food supply is far more reliable, pastoral societies can support larger populations. Since there are
food surpluses, fewer people are needed to produce food. As a result, the division of labor; the
specialization by individuals or groups in the performance of specific economic activities;
becomes more complex. For example, some people become craftworkers, producing tools,
weapons, and jewelry. The production of goods encourages trade.This trade helps to create
inequality, as some families acquire more goods than others do. These families often gain power
through their increased wealth. The passing on of property from generation to another helps to
centralize wealth and power. In time, hereditary chieftainships; the typical form of government
in pastoral societies; emerge.

Pastoral Societies
Pastoral or Herding societies are characterized by domestication of animals. They
first appeared about 12,000 to 15,000 years ago. These societies are typically found
in mountainous regions and in areas with insufficient rainfall to support horticultural
and agrarian societies. Most of these societies have secondary means of
subsistence - usually small scale horticulture or agriculture. True pastoral societies
are rare today.

Size and Density Pastoral communities are usually small (average size 72) with several dozen
communities forming a society with a total population of approximately 6,000.

Mobility - Most (90%) are nomadic. In desert areas they travel from water hole to water hole. In
mountain areas they move up and down the terrain as the weather changes.

Social Institutions
• The Family is the major institution. These are very male dominated as males
control the food supply.
• Religion is characterized by a God(s) seen as taking active role in human
affairs. Christianity, Islam and Judaism are examples of religions developing
in Pastoral societies. Note that God in these religion is often likened to a
shepherd and humans to domesticated animals (e.g., sheep). Note also the
heavy male bias of early versions of these religions.
• Slavery, especially hereditary slavery, is more common in this type of society
than in others.
• The Economy is primarily men's work.
• Warfare is more frequent than in Hunting and Gathering societies. Most fights
are over grazing areas.
• Education is informal and not a social institution.
• Hunting and gathering societies are the simplest types of societies in which people rely
on readily available vegetation and hunted game for subsistence. Only a few people can
be supported in any given area in such subsistence societies. Hence they usually have no
more than 40 members or so, must be nomadic, and have little or no division of labor.
• All societies began as hunting and gathering societies. These societies were still common
until a few hundred years ago. Today only a few remain, including pygmies in central
Africa and aborigines in Australia. Most of the rest have had their territory overrun by
other forms of society.

Pastoralism Defined

• Pastoral societies are those that have a disproportionate subsistence emphasis on

herding domesticated livestock. Many horticultural, agrarian, and industrial production
systems incorporate livestock. The most important defining criterion perhaps is the
organization of community life around the needs of the herds. Typical herding societies
are “nomadic.”
• People live in portable tents or temporary structures and move considerable distances
from pasture to pasture according to the dictates of ecological circumstances and
the needs of the beasts. Nomadism is a technological adaptation to scarce and ephemeral
 pasturage that has major ramifying effects on culture core features that are absent if
animals are managed from a fixed home base, as in European dairying or
Mexican/Anglo-American ranching.

Horticultural Societies
Fruits and vegetables grown in garden plots that have been cleared from the jungle or forest
provide the main source of food in a horticultural society. These societies have a level of
technology and complexity similar to pastoral societies. Some horticultural groups use the slash-
and-burn method to raise crops. The wild vegetation is cut and burned, and ashes are used as
fertilizers. Horticulturists use human labor and simple tools to cultivate the land for one or more
seasons. When the land becomes barren, horticulturists clear a new plot and leave the old plot to
revert to its natural state. They may return to the original land several years later and begin the
process again. By rotating their garden plots, horticulturists can stay in one area for a fairly long
period of time. This allows them to build semipermanent or permanent villages. The size of a
village's population depends on the amount of land available for farming; thus villages can range
from as few as 30 people to as many as 2000.
As with pastoral societies, surplus food leads to a more complex division of labor. Specialized
roles that are part of horticultural life, include those of craftspeople, shamans (religious leaders),
and traders. This role specialization allows people to create a wide variety of artifacts. As in
pastoral societies, surplus food can lead to inequalities in wealth and power within horticultural
societies; as a result, hereditary chieftainships are prevalent. Economic and political systems are
developed because of settled nature of horticultural life.

Horticultural society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For the system of food production in anthropology, see Horticulture.
A horticultural society is an organization devoted to the study and culture of cultivated plants.
Such organizations may be local, regional, national, or international. Some have a more general
focus, whereas others are devoted to a particular kind or group of plants.
Among the major horticultural societies are the American Horticultural Society and the Royal
Horticultural Society.

Agricultural Societies
Agricultural societies use technological advances to cultivate crops over a large area.
Sociologists use the phrase Agricultural Revolution to refer to the technological changes that
occurred as long as 8,500 years ago that led to cultivating crops and raising farm animals.
Increases in food supplies then led to larger populations than in earlier communities. This meant
a greater surplus, which resulted in towns that became centers of trade supporting various rulers,
educators, craftspeople, merchants, and religious leaders who did not have to worry about
locating nourishment.
Greater degrees of social stratification appeared in agricultural societies. For example, women
previously had higher social status because they shared labor more equally with men. In hunting
and gathering societies, women even gathered more food than men. However, as food stores
improved and women took on lesser roles in providing food for the family, they became more
subordinate to men. As villages and towns expanded into neighboring areas, conflicts with other
communities inevitably occurred. Farmers provided warriors with food in exchange for
protection against invasion by enemies. A system of rulers with high social status also appeared.
This nobility organized warriors to protect the society from invasion. In this way, the nobility
managed to extract goods from the “lesser” persons of society.

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
The active production of useful plants or animals in ecosystems that have
been created by people. Agriculture may include cultivating the soil, growing
and harvesting crops, and raising livestock. Agriculture was independently
developed in many places, including the Middle East, East Asia, South Asia,
and the Americas. The earliest evidence for agriculture has been found in the
Middle East and dates to between 14,500 and 12,000 BP. Early cultivars
include wild barley (Middle East), millet (China), and squash (the Americas).
The domestication of many animals now considered to be livestock occurred
during roughly the same period, although dogs were domesticated
considerably earlier. Slash-and-burn land-clearing methods and crop rotation
were early agricultural techniques. Steady improvements in tools and
methods over the centuries increased agricultural output, as did
mechanization, selective breeding and hybridization, and, beginning in the
20th century, the use of herbicides and insecticides.

Cleric, knight and Peasant; an example of feudal societies

Feudal Societies
From the 9th to 15th centuries, feudalism was a form of society based on ownership of land.
Unlike today's farmers, vassals under feudalism were bound to cultivating their lord's land. In
exchange for military protection, the lords exploited the peasants into providing food, crops,
crafts, homage, and other services to the owner of the land. The caste system of feudalism was
often multigenerational; the families of peasants may have cultivated their lord's land for
generations.
Between the 14th and 16th centuries, a new economic system emerged that began to replace
feudalism. Capitalism is marked by open competition in a free market, in which the means of
production are privately owned. Europe's exploration of the Americas served as one impetus for
the development of capitalism. The introduction of foreign metals, silks, and spices stimulated
great commercial activity in Europe.

Top of Form
Marvin Harris and Other Things

Bottom of Form

Prestates and States - Insights to Differences

Economics
Cultures can be characterized, in part, by the type of economic systems that they
support. Three forms of economic exchange systems are typically recognized by
anthropologists: reciprocity, redistribution and market exchange.
Reciprocity is the simplest form of economic exchange. It involves giving a product
or service to another person in the expectation of receiving something of similar value
in return. Reciprocal transactions are economic exchanges, but they are also
personalized; they take place between people who have a bond, and they serve to
strengthen these ties.
In a redistributive economy goods or labor are accumulated by a specific person, or at
a particular place, and are subsequently redistributed back throughout the society.
Such economies are found in all societies, to some extent, but they are "an important
mechanism only in societies that have political hierarchies-that is, chiefs and other
specialized officials and agencies" (Ember and Ember, 1990, p. 129).
Market exchange economies are associated with capitalist societies. In such
economies producers send or take their goods to a marketplace where they are bid for
by purchasers. The main feature of market exchanges is that goods and services are
bought and sold at money prices determined by the impersonal forces of supply and
demand.
There is one aspect of human economic systems that we should recognize. There are
societies where it is more important to give everything away rather than acccumulate
it. These societies are known as Bigman Societies. Influence and recognition is more
important than being wealthy. Bigmen are redistributors.
Money: Meaning?

Bands, Tribes, Chiefdoms, and

States
Many anthropologists define four major types of political organization. From least to
most socially complex they are bands, tribes, chiefdoms and states.

Bands
A band is a small, autonomous group of people (often as low as twenty, and never
more than a few hundred) made up of nuclear families that live together and are
loosely associated with a territory on which they hunt. A band political structure is
typically found amongst societies with a hunter- gather economy. Band societies have
no specialized roles. Social order is maintained through the informal mechanisms of
gossip, ridicule and avoidance - in other words through public opinion.

Tribes
The second of the major forms of political structure is the tribe.
A tribe is of the order of a large collection of bands, but it is not simply a collection of
bands. The ties that bind a tribe are more complicated than those of bands. Leadership
is personal-charismatic-and for special purposes only in tribal society; there are no
political offices containing real power, and a "chief" is merely a man of influence, a
sort of adviser. The means of tribal consolidation for collective action are therefore
not governmental.
Technically, the tribe is a group of bands. The tribe is, of course, a larger society tied
together by familiar bonds. Family structures known as lineages, clan, moieties, and
phratries form the primary bonding mechanisms. The local groups that compose a
traditional tribal society are communal and strongly social, with members linked by
kinship ties.
Tribes have developed kin-based mechanisms to accommodate more sedentary life, to
redistribute food, and to organize some communal services. Public opinion plays a
major role in decision making.
Tribal people tend to think in certain ways. They tend to be egalitarian, think humans
are part of nature itself, the world is composed of dualities that form a harmony, and
life is designed to work for the good of the community - good of the whole. Tribal
people also stress consensus in determing what is good for the whole.
One of the easiest tribes for us to examine since we live in Arizona is the Hopi. Hopi
traditional political organization can be called a theocracy. Traditionally, Hopi
villages were ruled by established clan theocracies. The High Priest of a village was
(and still is) called the kikmongwi and served as father of the village. The kikmongwi
usually appointed at least one spokespman to make his wishes known to the outside
world, and to serve as a source of information about the world. Various Crier Chiefs,
Kiva Chiefs, and other leaders formed the village government; clan relationships
usually dictated who would receive specific ceremonial and governing positions. Each
Hopi village was autonomous with various villages having special clan and religious
relationships with one another. In a sense, traditional Hopi government was not
democratic. It is true that the priests, religious leaders, warriors, and kikmongwis
would listen to various opinions before making decisions, but government was not
necessarily by consensus. Yet Hopi are deeply tribal in the way they think and
consensus was and is important. They would and do think in terms of what is good for
the whole when leadership considers a decision. So they balance the need for
leadership and their tribal ways of thinking.
TRIBES AND NATURE
TRIBAL OUTLOOK ON RELIGION

Chiefdoms
The third form of political organization is the chiefdom. Chiefdoms are societies
headed by individuals with unusual ritual, political, or entrepreneurial skills. The
society is kin-based but more along hierarchical lines than a tribe. Chiefdoms are
associated with greater population density and display signs of social ranking.
The chiefdom society is also more complex and more organized, being particularly
distinguished from tribes by the presence of centers which coordinate economic,
social and religious activities.

Whereas tribes have some grouping that can informally integrate more than one
community, chiefdoms have some formal structure integrating multi-community
political units. The formal structure could consist of a council with or without a chief,
but most commonly there is a person-the chief-who has higher rank and authority than
others. The position of chief, which is sometimes hereditary and generally permanent,
bestows high status on its holder.
Unlike a tribe in which all segments are structurally and functionally similar, a
chiefdom is made up of parts that are structurally and functionally different from one
another. A ranking system means that some lineages, and the individuals in them,
have higher or lower social status than others.
Chiefdoms can be divided into ones that take on a more simple, kin-based
organization and those that are more complex where there is a more developed
regional hierarchy with a paramount chief and lesser chiefdoms. The simpler form has
centralized decision making for better mobilization of manpower and exploitation of
resources than is possible in a tribal form of society. The more complex chiefdom has
a greater measure of authority but still lacks a bureaucracy to administer food
surpluses nor to distribute and store resources. The society is more divided along two
lines - nobility and commoners. Nobility tends to compete for leadership, prestige,
and religious authority making the chiefdom relatively unstable.
EXPLORE CHIEFDOMS
The Yoruba Kingdom
Feudalism
What is a God King?

States
Anthropologist Robert Carneiro (1970) defines the state as "an autonomous political
unit, encompassing many communities within its territory and having a centralized
government with the power to collect taxes, draft men for work or war, and decree
and enforce laws." Here again it is the notion of a centralized government that
distinguishes the state from the decentralized type political organization. States
represent highly complex organizational structures that function to control large
societies. They are associated with large territories, administrative bureaucracies, a
high degree of specialization, and large, dense populations. States represent a major
departure from earlier kin-based societies. A non-kin-based relationship between
rulers and those who are ruled marks a state as a major departure from other forms of
societies.
WHERE DID STATES COME FROM?
MODELS OF COMPLEXITY
A secret society is a social organization that requires its members to conceal
certain activities—such as rites of initiation or club ceremonies—from outsiders.
Members may be required to conceal or deny their membership, and are often
sworn to hold the society's secrets by an oath. The term "secret society" is often
used to describe fraternal organizations (e.g. Freemasonry) that may have
secret ceremonies, but is also commonly applied to organizations ranging from
the common and innocuous (collegiate fraternities) to mythical organizations
described in conspiracy theories as immensely powerful, with self-serving
financial or political agendas, global reach, and often satanic beliefs.

Secret society is a term used to describe clubs or organisations in which the

activities and inner functioning of those societies are concealed from non-members.
The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually
excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies,
which hide their activities and memberships but maintain a public presence. The
exact qualifications for labeling a group as a secret society are disputed, but
definitions generally rely on the degree to which the organization insists on secrecy,
and might involve the retention and transmission of secret knowledge, denial of
membership in or knowledge of the group, the creation of personal bonds between
members of the organization, and the use of secret rites or rituals which solidify
members of the group. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_society

Top 10 Secret Societies

http://listverse.com/2007/08/27/top-10-secret-societies/
Share This- Published August 27, 2007 - 207 Comments
Through history there have been many secret societies and conspiracy theories about those
societies. This is a list of 10 of the most famous and popular secret societies or alleged secret
societies.
1. Skull and Bones [Wikipedia]
Members of the Skull and Bones (George Bush is left of the clock) [1947]
The Order of Skull and Bones, a Yale University society, was originally known as the
Brotherhood of Death. It is one of the oldest student secret societies in the United States. It was
founded in 1832 and membership is open to an elite few. The society uses masonic inspired
rituals to this day. Members meet every Thursday and Sunday of each week in a building they
call the “Tomb”.
According to Judy Schiff, Chief Archivist at the Yale University Library, the names of the
members were not kept secret until the 1970s, but the rituals always have been. Both of the Bush
presidents were members of the society while studying at Yale, and a number of other members
have gone on to great fame and fortune.
The society is surrounded by conspiracy theories; the most popular of which is probably the idea
that the CIA was built on members from the group. The CIA released a statement in 2007
(coinciding with the popularity of the film The Good Shepherd) in which it denied that the group
was an incubator for the CIA. You can read that document here.
2. Freemasons [Wikipedia]

Freemasons Annual Meeting [1992]

The Grand Masonic Lodge was created in 1717 when four small groups of lodges joined
together. Membership levels were initially first and second degree, but in the 1750s this was
expanded to create the third degree which caused a split in the group. When a person reaches the
third degree, they are called a Master Mason.
Masons conduct their regular meetings in a ritualized style. This includes many references to
architectural symbols such as the compass and square. They refer to God as “The Great Architect
of the Universe”. The three degrees of Masonry are: 1: Entered Apprentice, this makes you a
basic member of the group. 2: Fellow Craft, this is an intermediate degree in which you are
meant to develop further knowledge of Masonry. 3: Master Mason, this degree is necessary for
participating in most masonic activities. Some rites (such as the Scottish rite) list up to 33
degrees of membership.
Masons use signs and handshakes to gain admission to their meetings, as well as to identify
themselves to other people who may be Masons. The signs and handshakes often differ from one
jurisdiction to another and are often changed or updated. This protects the group from people
finding out how to gain admission under false pretenses. Masons also wear stylized clothing
based upon the clothing worn by stone masons from the middle ages. The most well known of
these is the apron.
In order to become a Mason, you must generally be recommended by a current mason. In some
cases you must be recommended three times before you can join. You have to be at least 18
years old and of sound mind. Many religions frown upon membership of the Masons, and the
Roman Catholic Church forbids Catholics to join under pain of excommunication.
3. Rosicrucians [Wikipedia]

Secret Symbols of the Rosicrucians

The Rosicrucian order is generally believed to have been the idea of a group of German
protestants in the 1600s when a series of three documents were published: Fama Fraternitatis
Rosae Crucis, Confessio Fraternitatis, and The Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz
anno 1459. The documents were so widely read and influential, that the historian Frances Yeats
refers to the 17th century as the Rosicrucian Enlightenment. The first document tells the story of
a mysterious alchemist (Christian Rosenkreuz) who travelled to various parts of the world
gathering secret knowledge. The second document tells of a secret brotherhood of alchemists
who were preparing to change the political and intellectual face of Europe. The third document
describes the invitation of Christian Rosenkreuz to attend and assist at the “Chemical” wedding
of a King and Queen in a castle of Miracles.
Current members of the Rosicrucian Order claim that its origins are far more ancient than these
documents. The authors of the documents seemed to strongly favor Lutheranism and include
condemnations of the Catholic Church. Rosicrucianism probably had an influence on Masonry
and, in fact, the 18th degree of Scottish Rite Masonry is called the Knight of the Rose Croix (red
cross).
There are a large number of Rosicrucian groups today – each claiming to be closely tied to the
original. Of the two main divisions, one is a mix of Christianity with Rosicrucian principles, and
the other is semi-Masonic. The Masonic type tend to also have degrees of membership.
4. Ordo Templis Orientis [Wikipedia]

Crowley with OTO Instruments

The OTO (Order of the Temples of the East) is an organization that was originally modeled on
Masonry but, under the leadership of the self-styled “Great Beast” Aleister Crowley, it took on
the principles of his religious system called Thelema. Thelema is based around a single law: “Do
what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law, love is the law, love under the will” [1904].
Membership is based upon degrees of initiation and highly stylized rituals are used. The OTO
currently claims over 3,000 members worldwide.
Crowley created a “Mass” for the OTO which is called the Gnostic Mass. Of the “Mass”,
Crowley wrote:
“I resolved that my Ritual should celebrate the sublimity of the operation of universal forces
without introducing disputable metaphysical theories. I would neither make nor imply any
statement about nature which would not be endorsed by the most materialistic man of science.
On the surface this may sound difficult; but in practice I found it perfectly simple to combine the
most rigidly rational conceptions of phenomena with the most exalted and enthusiastic
celebration of their sublimity.”
The ritual is very stylized and uses virgin priestesses, children, and priests. Many Ancient
Egyptian God’s are invoked, as well as the Devil, and at one point the priestess performs a naked
ritual.
5. Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn [Wikipedia]
Golden Dawn Symbolism
The order of the Golden Dawn was created by Dr. William Robert Woodman, William Wynn
Westcott, and Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers. All three were Freemasons and members of
Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (an organization with ties to Masonry). It is considered by many
to be a forerunner of the Ordo Templi Orientis and a majority of modern Occult groups.
The belief system of the Golden Dawn is largely taken from Christian mysticism, Qabalah,
Hermeticism, the religion of Ancient Egypt, Freemasonry, Alchemy, Theosophy, Magic, and
Renaissance writings. William Yeats, and Aleister Crowly are two of the more famous members
of the group.
The fundamental documents of the order are known as the Cipher Documents. These were
translated into English using a cipher attributed to Johannes Trithemius. The documents are a
series of 60 folios containing magic rituals. The basic structure of many of these rituals appear to
originate with Rosicrucianism. There is a great deal of controversy surrounding the origins of
these documents.

<script type="text/javascript"><!-- e9 = new Object(); e9.size = "300x250"; e9.noAd = 1;

//--></script> <script type="text/javascript"
src="http://tags.expo9.exponential.com/tags/Listversecom/ROS/tags.js"></script>

6. The Knights Templar [Wikipedia]

Mediaeval Templar’s Sword
The Knights Templar (full name: The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the
Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta) is a modern off-shoot of
Masonry and does not have a direct tie to the original Knights Templar – a religious military
group formed in the 12th century. Members of the Masonic Knights Templar do not claim a
direct connection to the medieval group, but merely a borrowing of ideas and symbols.
In order to become a member of this group, you must already be a Christian Master Mason. This
organization is a distinct one, and is not just a higher degree of Masonry. Despite Freemasonry’s
general disclaimer that no one Masonic organization claims a direct heritage to the medieval
Knights Templar, certain degrees and orders are obviously patterned after the medieval Order.
These are best described as “commemorative orders” or degrees. Nevertheless, in spite of the
fraternity’s official disclaimers, some Masons, non-Masons, and even anti-Masons insist that
certain Masonic rites or degrees originally had direct Templar influence.

7. The Illuminati [Wikipedia]

The Pyramid, an illuminati symbol
A movement of freethinkers that were the most radical offshoot of The Enlightenment — whose
followers were given the name Illuminati (but who called themselves “Perfectibilists”) — was
founded on May 1, 1776 in Ingolstadt (Upper Bavaria), by Jesuit-taught Adam Weishaupt. This
group is now known as the Bavarian Illuminati. While it was not legally allowed to operate,
many influential intellectuals and progressive politicians counted themselves as members. Even
though there were some known Freemasons in the membership, it was not considered to be
endorsed by Masonry. The fact that the Illuminati did not require a belief in a supreme being
made them particularly popular amongst atheists. This, and the fact that most members were
humanists, is the reason for the widespread belief that the Illuminati wants to overthrow
organized religion.
Internal panic over the succession of a new leader, and government attempts to outlaw the group
saw to it collapsing entirely in the late 1700s. Despite this, conspiracy theorists such as David
Icke and Was Penre, have argued that the Bavarian Illuminati survived, possibly to this day,
though very little reliable evidence can be found to support the idea that Weishaupt’s group
survived into the 19th century. It has even been suggested that the Skull and Bones club is an
American branch of the Illuminati.
Many people believe that the Illuminati is still operating and managing the main actions of the
governments of the world. It is believed that they wish to create a One World Government based
on humanist and atheist principles.

8. The Bilderberg Group [Wikipedia]

A Bilderberg Meeting
This group is slightly different from the others in that it does not have an official membership. It
is the name given to a group of highly influential people who meet ever year in secrecy (and
usually with strong military and government sponsored security). The topics discussed are kept
secret. The structure of the meetings is that of a conference – usually held in five star hotels
around the world. Attendance at the meeting is strictly by invitation only. The first meeting took
place in 1954 at the Hotel Bilderberg in the Netherlands.
The original meeting was initiated by several people. Polish emigre and political adviser, Joseph
Retinger, concerned about the growth of anti-Americanism in Western Europe, proposed an
international conference at which leaders from European countries and the United States would
be brought together with the aim of promoting understanding between the cultures of The United
States of America and Western Europe.
Although the agenda and list of participants are openly available to the public, it is not clear that
such details are disclosed by the group itself. Also, the contents of the meetings are kept secret
and attendees pledge not to divulge what was discussed. The group’s stated justification for
secrecy is that it enables people to speak freely without the need to carefully consider how every
word might be interpreted by the mass media.
Needless to say, this group is constantly surrounded by controversy and conspiracy theories.

9. The Priory of Sion [Wikipedia]

Logo of the Priori of Sion
After the publication of the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, a great deal of interest in the Priory of
Sion has been created. Unfortunately for those hoping to find and join the Priory, it is, in fact,
fictional. It was a hoax created in 1956 by a pretender to the French Throne, Pierre Plantard.
Letters in existence dating from the 1960s written by Plantard, de Cherisey and de Sède to each
other confirm that the three were engaging in an out-and-out confidence trick, describing
schemes on how to combat criticisms of their various allegations and how they would make up
new allegations to try to keep the whole thing going. Despite this, many people still continue to
believe that the Priory exists and functions to this day.
The authors of the well known book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, misled by the hoax,
stated:
1. The Priory of Sion has a long history starting in AD 1099, and had illustrious Grand
Masters including Isaac Newton and Leonardo da Vinci.
2. The order protects certain royal claimants because they believe them to be the literal
descendants of Jesus and his alleged wife Mary Magdalene or, at the very least, of king
David.
3. The priory seeks the founding of a “Holy European Empire” that would become the
next hyperpower and usher in a new world order of peace and prosperity.

10. Opus Dei [Wikipedia]

Ordination of Opus Dei Priests
Opus Dei is an organization of the Catholic Church that emphasizes the Catholic belief that
everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The celibate numeraries
and numerary assistants live in special centers, while associates are celibate members living in
their private homes. The order was founded in Spain in 1928 by Roman Catholic priest
Josemaría Escrivá with the approval of Pope Pius XII.
When Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code was published, it claimed that Opus Dei was a secret
organization within the Church whose aim was to defeat the Priory of Sion and those who seek
to uncover the “truth” about Christianity and the alleged royal bloodline of Christ. Outside of the
book, there has been a great deal of controversy over Opus Dei because of the strictness of its
religious structure.
The Catholic Church forbids secret societies and membership in them, and Opus Dei
investigators have frequently debunked claims that this organization is acting in secrecy to
further a sinister agenda.

SimCity Societies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

SimCity Societies
Developer(s Tilted Mill
) Entertainment
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Series SimCity
Version 1.04.243 (v1.5)
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows

• November
PC
Release
13, 2007
date(s)
[1]

Genre(s) City-building game

Mode(s) Single-player

• ESRB: E10+
Rating(s) • OFLC: G
• PEGI: 7+

System requirements
Windows XP SP2, or Windows Vista, 1.7
GHz Intel CPU, or AMD XP 2100
processor, 512 MB RAM memory, 2.1 GB
free hard disk drive space, 128 MB video
card, DVD drive, DirectX 9.0-compatible
video card (Windows Vista requires a 2.4
GHz processor or equivalent and 1 GB
RAM)

Input Keyboard and

methods mouse
SimCity Societies is a city-building simulation computer game developed by Tilted Mill and
published by Electronic Arts (EA), part of the Sim games series. It is the fifth main SimCity game
and the second not to have a numbered title. The game was released worldwide on November 13,
2007.[1]

Contents
[hide]
• 1 Announcement
• 2 Gameplay
○ 2.1 Societies
○ 2.2 Buildings
• 3 Reception
• 4 SimCity Societies:
Destinations
• 5 References
• 6 External links

[edit] Announcement
On June 5, 2007, Tilted Mill Entertainment, creator of Caesar IV, announced that it would be
developing SimCity Societies instead of Maxis, which had created all preceding titles.[2] Rob
Humble, head of EA's Sims Division, indicated that EA representatives had asked Tilted Mill to
create the game at E3. Immediate reaction was negative, especially on the official forums of the
developer towards this game. Responses directly from the developers attempted to ease some
concerns.[3]

[edit] Gameplay
A Capitalist city, showing the day and night cycle in the game

While previous mainstream SimCity titles could be best described as mayorship, or government
simulators, SimCity Societies is different, as foreshadowed by the previews and statements from
the developers,[4] by being a "social engineering simulator" rather than a city-building simulator.
Public works and a tax system do not play a part in the basic game. Instead, players get daily
income from workplaces in the city. However, a downloadable update includes gameplay modes
where a daily tax is incurred based on the buildings within a city. Transportation networks have
been simplified to dirt roads, paved roads, subways and bus stops. Players do not build zones, a
key element of past SimCity games; instead, they have the ability to directly place individual
residential buildings, work places, and entertainment and shopping venues, something not seen
in previous editions, and similar to Monte Cristo's game City Life. There are also six "social
energies", called societal values, which allow players to learn about the characteristics of the
citizens. The six societal values are productivity, prosperity, creativity, spirituality, authority, and
knowledge.[5] The city will look, and act, in accordance with the energies the players choose.
Players may focus on satisfying one, several, or all of these values. An improved version of the
reward system introduced in the SNES version of SimCity Classic and SimCity 2000 has been
included in the game.[6]
The game is "fully customizable" and allows the players to customize individual buildings,
decorations, citizens, and game rules.[7] Prior to its release, when mentioning the depth to which
the game will allow customization a Tilted Mill representative stated that those who were
proficient in C# and XML will have easy access to every asset of the game and that basic tools
would be provided for building editing.[8] However, no way of creating new building models was
provided.

Matriarchy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

"Gynecocracy" redirects here. For the pornographic novel, see Gynecocracy (novel).

"Matriarch" redirects here. For other uses, see Matriarch (disambiguation).

Note that in feminist literature, "matriarchy" may be used synonymously with

matrilineality.

Matriarchy (also gynecocracy) refers to a gynecocentric form of society, in which the leading
role is taken by the women and especially by the mothers of a community.[1]

Contents
[hide]
 • 1 Etymology
• 2 History
• 3 Terminology
• 4 History of the concept
○ 4.1 19th century
○ 4.2 20th century
• 5 Comparison with
matrifocality
• 6 In mythology
• 7 In popular culture
• 8 See also
• 9 Notes
• 10 References
• 11 External links

[edit] Etymology
The term matriarchy means the mother or chief of a clan or the woman who takes the lead of a
family [2]. The many synonymous and translations of the word mother point to ama: Maa, Amma,
Mata used in India and sometimes in neighboring countries, originating from the Sanskrit
matrika and mata; Ma, Mam or Mammy is used in Ireland and Northern areas of the UK; it is
also used in some areas of the US; ama is used within the Sumerian mythology, as for the
primordial goddess tiamat (ti, life; ama. mother).

[edit] History
There are no known societies that are unambiguously matriarchal,[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] although there are
a number of attested matrilinear, matrilocal and avunculocal societies, especially among
indigenous peoples of Asia and Africa,[10] such as those of the Minangkabau, Mosuo[11], Berbers
or Tuareg, and Basques and Sardinian people[12][13] in Europe.

Rhea or Cybele, a greek goddess, the mother of all deities, with two lions surroundig
her; rhea means earth or flow
Cybele from Anatólia, sitting on a throne surrounded by two lions, from Çatalhöyük
(Neolithic)

Strongly matrilocal societies sometimes are referred to as matrifocal, and there is some debate
concerning the terminological delineation between matrifocality and matriarchy. Note that even
in patriarchical systems of male-preference primogeniture there may occasionally be queens
regnant, as in the case of Elizabeth I of England or Victoria of the United Kingdom.
According to The Cambridge ancient history [14]: "the predominance of a supreme goddess is
probably a reflexion from the practice of matriarchy which at all times charactherized Elamite
civilization to a greater or lesser degree". Elam is the first high-culture of Iran and, along with
the Sumerians, is considered one of the most developed societies of the ancient history [15].
In 19th century western scholarship, the hypothesis of matriarchy representing an early stage of
human development — now mostly lost in prehistory, with the exception of some "primitive"
societies — enjoyed popularity. The hypothesis survived into the 20th century and was notably
advanced in the context of feminism and especially second wave feminism, but this hypothesis
of matriarchy as "merely" an early stage of human development is mostly discredited today.[16]
However, scholars and archeologists such as Marija Gimbutas, Gerda Lerner and Riane Eisler [17]
describe their notion of a "woman-centered" society surrounding a Mother Goddess worship
(such as Rhea and Cybele) throughout Pre History (Paleolithic and Neolithic Europe) and ancient
civilizations by using the term matristic "exhibiting influence or domination by the mother
figure". The notion of such a "woman-centered" society is also confirmed by major archeologists
J. J. Bachofen, whose three-volume Myth, religion, and mother right (1861), impacted the way
classicists such as Jane Harrison, Sir Arthur Evans, Walter Burkert and James Mellaart [18],
looked at the evidence of pre-Hellenic societies: "The goddesses of Greek polytheism, so
different and complementary," Walter Burkert has observed, in Homo Necans (1972) 1983:79f,
"are nonetheless, consistently similar at an earlier stage, with one or the other simply becoming
dominant in a sanctuary or city. Each is the Great Goddess presiding over a male society; each
is depicted in her attire as Mistress of the Beasts, and Mistress of the Sacrifice, even Hera and
Demeter".

Utopia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

For other uses, see Utopia (disambiguation).

This article needs additional citations for verification.

Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material
may be challenged and removed. (July 2010)

Utopia (pronounced /juːˈtoʊpiə/) is a name for an ideal community or society possessing a

seemingly perfect socio-politico-legal system.[1] The word was invented by Sir Thomas More for
his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used
to describe both intentional communities that attempted to create an ideal society, and fictional
societies portrayed in literature. It has spawned other concepts, most prominently dystopia.
The word comes from the Greek: οὐ, "not", and τόπος, "place", indicating that More was
utilizing the concept as allegory and did not consider such an ideal place to be realistically
possible. The English homophone Eutopia, derived from the Greek εὖ, "good" or "well", and
τόπος, "place", signifies a double meaning.

Contents
[hide]
• 1 Varieties
○ 1.1 Ecology
○ 1.2 Economics
○ 1.3 Politics & history
○ 1.4 Religious utopia
○ 1.5 Science and technology
○ 1.6 Feminism
○ 1.7 Utopianism
• 2 List of utopian novels
○ 2.1 Pre-20th century
○ 2.2 20th century
• 3 Notes
• 4 References
• 5 External links

[edit] Varieties

Left panel (The Earthly Paradise – Garden of Eden) from Hieronymus Bosch's The
Garden of Earthly Delights.

Utopia is largely based on Plato's Republic.[2] It is a perfect version of Republic wherein the
beauties of society reign (e.g.: equality and a general pacifist attitude), although its citizens are
all ready to fight if need be. The evils of society, e.g.: poverty and misery, are all removed. It has
few laws, no lawyers and rarely sends its citizens to war, but hires mercenaries from among its
war-prone neighbors (these mercenaries were deliberately sent into dangerous situations in the
hope that the more warlike populations of all surrounding countries will be weeded out, leaving
peaceful peoples). The society encourages tolerance of all religions. Some readers, including
utopian socialists, have chosen to accept this imaginary society as the realistic blueprint for a
working nation, while others have postulated More intended nothing of the sort. Some[who?]
maintain the position that More's Utopia functions only on the level of a satire, a work intended
to reveal more about the England of his time than about an idealistic society. This interpretation
is bolstered by the title of the book and nation, and its apparent confusion between the Greek for
"no place" and "good place": "utopia" is a compound of the syllable ou-, meaning "no", and
topos, meaning place. But the homophonic prefix eu-, meaning "good," also resonates in the
word, with the implication that the perfectly "good place" is really "no place."
Another version of this concept is found in the Panchaea island, of the "Sacred History" book of
Euhemerus, a writer from the 3rd century BC.