affiliation solidarity in Arabic and American Indian tribes

Submitted by James Drake (United States), Jan 18, 2010 at 15:40

According to the publisher's bulletin for the Salzman book one of the characteristics of Arabic tribes is affiliation solidarity, in which the strength of sociopolitical attachment varies inversely in proportion to sociopolitical distance.

In the 19th century General George Crook of the US Army innovated the use of Indians for scouting against -- and fighting -- their own tribes, both the Sioux in the Midwest and the Apache in the Southwest. Very cursory research suggests that he was able to form alliances with subtribes. This suggests that affiliation solidarity was weak or absent in at least some Indian tribes.

I wonder why it is so different with Arabic tribes. Perhaps Salzman discusses the reason for it. My impression, though, is that it's a character that predates Islam.

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