segmentarios

Segmentarios is a term used in anthropology to describe societies organized around a segmentary system of kin groups. The basic unit is a segment, often a patrilineal or matrilineal lineage that traces ancestry across generations. Segments are arranged in a hierarchical, generational pattern so that similarly sized units at each level can form coalitions with their parallel relatives. Political power, norms, and obligations are distributed through kinship networks and alliances rather than a centralized authority.

In a segmentary system, conflict and cooperation unfold through flexible alliances among neighboring segments. When tensions rise, segments may mobilize together to support or oppose others, producing a network of parallel and cross-cutting loyalties rather than a single sovereign authority. This allows rapid mobilization of people and resources, but also yields fluid and sometimes unstable political relations. The model emphasizes parallel lines of descent and cross-cutting alliances, with segments able to realign as circumstances change.

Origin and scholarship: The concept was developed in early 20th-century British social anthropology and was refined in the influential work African Political Systems (Fortes and Evans-Pritchard, 1940). It has been applied to various African societies, and to other regions where lineage-based groups play a prominent political role, including some Berber, Arab, and pastoralist communities. In Spanish-language literature, the term is often rendered as segmentarios or sistema segmentario.

Criticisms and limitations: Modern anthropologists caution that segmentary theory can overemphasize fragmentation and conflict, understating economic, ecological, and state-centered processes. Many societies display a mix of organizational forms, including centralized authority, market relations, and formal institutions, alongside segmentary elements.