band

Type of human social organization consisting of a small number of nuclear families (see family) or related subgroups who are loosely organized for purposes of subsistence or security. Bands may be integrated into a larger community or tribe. They generally exist in sparsely populated areas and possess relatively simple technologies; their habitats range from the desert (Australian Aboriginals) to the African rainforest (Bambuti) to the North American tundra (Kaska). Bands may occasionally coalesce for broader community ceremonies, hunting, or warfare. See also hunting and gathering society; sociocultural evolution.

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