15.1E: Traditional Authority - Social Sci LibreTexts

Weber traced traditional domination back to patriarchs, their households, and the ancient tradition of the family. In such systems, the master, ... Skiptomaincontent KeyPointsKeyTermsTraditionalAuthorityPatrimonalismandFeudalism Traditionalauthorityreferstoaformofleadershipinwhichauthorityderivesfromtraditionorcustom. LearningObjectivesComparepatrimonialgovernmentwithfeudalismwithinthecontextoftraditionalauthority KeyPoints Webertracedtraditionaldominationbacktopatriarchs,theirhouseholds,andtheancienttraditionoffamily.Insuchsystems,themasterisdesignatedinaccordancewiththerulesofinheritance. Patrimonialgovernmentoccurswhentheruler’shouseholdexpandstogovernmentaloffices.Allofficialsarepersonaldependentsorfavoritesoftheruler,andareappointedbyhim. Feudalismreplacedthepaternalrelationshipofpatrimonalismwithacontractofallegiancebasedonknightlymilitarism. KeyTerms feudalism:Asocialsystemthatisbasedonpersonalownershipofresourcesandpersonalfealtybetweenasuzerain(lord)andavassal(subject).Definingcharacteristicsoffeudalismaredirectownershipofresources,personalloyalty,andahierarchicalsocialstructurereinforcedbyreligion. patrimonialgovernment:Aformofgovernanceinwhichallpowerflowsdirectlyfromtheleader.Theleadersofthesecountriestypicallyenjoyabsolutepersonalpower. tradition:Apartofculturethatispassedfrompersontopersonorgenerationtogeneration,possiblydifferingindetailfromfamilytofamily,suchasthewayholidaysarecelebrated. TraditionalAuthority Traditionalauthorityisatypeofleadershipinwhichtheauthorityofarulingregimeislargelytiedtotraditionorcustom.Insociology,theconceptoftraditionalauthoritycomesfromMaxWeber‘stripartiteclassificationofauthority.Inadditiontotraditionalauthority,Weberclaimedthattheothertwostylesofauthoritywerecharismaticauthorityandrational-legalauthority.Webernotedthat,inhistory,theseidealtypesofdominationalwaysseemedtooccurincombinations. Webertracedtraditionaldominationbacktopatriarchs,theirhouseholds,andtheancienttraditionofthefamily.Insuchsystems,themaster,almostexclusivelyanolderfather,isdesignatedinaccordancewiththerulesofinheritance.Hehasnoadministrativestaff,noranymachinerytoenforcehiswillbyforcealone.Instead,hedependsonthewillingnessofsubservientgroupmemberstorespecthisauthority.Theyobeyhimbasedonthebeliefthatthisistheirduty,sanctionedbytradition. Patrimonialgovernmentisrelatedtothismodel,butisslightlydifferent.Thisoccurswhenapatriarchalruler’shouseholdexpandstogovernmentaloffices.Inthisstyleofleadership,allofficialsarepersonaldependentsorfavoritesoftheruler,andareappointedbytheruler.Theirinteractionswiththerulerarebasedonpaternalauthorityandfilialdependence.Militaryforceisanimportantinstrumentofpatrimonialrule.PatrimonialdominancehasoftenprevailedintheOrient. PatrimonalismandFeudalism Incomparisontopatrimonalism,feudalismhasonemajorsimilarityandseveralimportantdifferences.Thesimilarityisthatbotharebasedontraditionandhavepowerfulrulerswhograntrightsinreturnformilitaryandadministrativeservices.Therearetwoimportantdifferences.First,feudalismreplacedthepaternalrelationshipofpatrimonalismwithacontractofallegiancebasedonknightlymilitarism.Second,inapatrimonialgovernment,officialsarepersonallydependentonthepatriarch.Infeudalism,theseindividualsarereplacedwithvassals,whohavecontractualfreedom,personalallegiance,andsocioeconomicprominence. LouisXIVofFrance:Historically,kingshavederivedtheirauthorityfromtradition. KingAbdullahbinAbdulal-SaudofSaudiArabia:KingAbdullahbinAbdulal-Saud,KingofSaudiArabia,derivedhisauthorityfromtradition.