Politics & Violence
Politics & Violence
How do the Yanomamo rules regarding killing and the consequences for breaking these rules differ from the rules in Western cultures in general?
The Yanomamo people have no written language, precise number system, formal laws, or institutionalized adjudicators such as chiefs or judges. Although there are customs and general rules about proper behavior, individuals violate them regularly when it seems in their interest to do so. In Western societies, rules against killing are enforced by the government. If someone kills another person, they are arrested, tried in a court, and if found guilty, are punished with imprisonment or even death. In contrast, the Yanomamo people have a unique system of rules regarding killing, which is deeply ingrained in their culture. In Yanomamo culture, the rules are enforced by the community. When someone is killed, the victim's family seeks revenge rather than relying on a legal system. Which often leads to a cycle of violence as families turn against each other.
Yanomamo revenge killings
The most common explanation for warfare is revenge for previous killing and the most common explanation for initial cause of the fighting is " women". The Yanomamo have a system of kinship-based revenge killings, where the killing of one person can lead to a cycle of retaliation, often resulting in multiple deaths on both sides. This process is triggered when a Yanomamo man is killed by another group, and his kin seek revenge to restore honor and balance. Revenge killings among the Yanomamo involve the victim’s family planning and carrying out an attack on the killer’s village. Rading parties include 10 to 20 men. On the eve of the raid the warriors choose the person they want to kill but they usually kill the first man they encounter. When a raiding party strikes, they shoot the victim or victims from ambush with their arrows and hastily retreat. In contrast to Western societies, where killing is seen as an individual's personal choice and is punished accordingly, The Yanomamo system of revenge killings is a collective responsibility that involves entire families and clans.
What are the benefits of obtaining the status of unokais? How do they compare to the benefits of being a non-unokais?
Becoming an unokais, or a skilled warrior, is considered a prestigious status in Yanomamo society. Unokais are men who have participated in revenge killings. An unokais has achieved this status by taking multiple lives through revenge killings, which demonstrates their bravery, skill, and loyalty to their kin. In contrast, a non-unokais has not engaged in revenge killings and may be seen as less respected or honorable. A man may choose to become an unokais to gain status, respect, and protection within his community. Also, men how are killers may gain marital and reproductive benefits. However, this path comes with significant risks, including the danger of being killed in retaliation. Non-unokais, who have not participated in revenge killings, do not receive these benefits. While they are still respected, they lack the elevated status and influence of unokais. On the other side men who do not engage in violence have a lower risk of mortality due to violence and provide and produce more offspring on average than men who tried to be unokais .
Political structure
The pursuit of status as an unokais also influences social organization, as men strive to establish themselves as respected leaders within their community. Leaders are often those who have proven themselves through revenge killings. All headmen in the article study are unokais.
Social Status/Social Organization
Participation in revenge killings determines social rank. Being an unokais means earning respect and fear from others in the village. This creates a hierarchy based on bravery and capability. This status often translates to greater personal security and influence.
Kinship
Each village is typically composed of several large kin groups or lineages. Family units are responsible for avenging relatives and strengthening family bonds. In most villages 80% of the members are related to more than 75% of the village. These date shows that in most villages members are related to each other more closely than half-cousinship. A kindship density factor appears to be involved on revenge raids.
Marriage & Reproduction
Unokais are considered more desirable as husbands. Their bravery and ability to protect their family make them attractive partners, leading to more marriage opportunities. Marriage is often used as a way to forge alliances between rival groups, which can help to reduce tensions and prevent future conflicts. However, when these alliances are broken or when a wife is taken from one group by another, it can trigger a cycle of revenge killings. Unokais have more wives and children, passing on valued traits like bravery.
Why do we need laws against something that no one should want to do?
Even though murder is seen as bad and anti-social, laws are needed to provide justice. In Western societies, these laws prevent chaos and ensure order. However, for the Yanomamo people, these behaviors are deeply ingrained in their culture and play a crucial role in maintaining social balance and resolving conflicts. The Yanomamo use revenge killings to regulate behavior and maintain social order in the absence of formal laws. Their system of revenge killings serves as a means to resolve conflicts, while also providing individuals with opportunities to gain status and respect. However, this method often leads to ongoing violence and instability. Chagnon's article highlights the need for systems to control violence and ensure justice. I think is important to control violence by stablishing laws, this helps maintain order and protects citizens from endless cycles of violence. In Western societies, formal laws against killing help prevent the kind of continuous violence seen in the Yanomamo culture. They ensure that justice is served fairly and impartially, reducing the likelihood of personal revenge and fostering a safer, more stable society.
Hi Keyna,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. I thought your structure of your ideas were fully thought out and there where no spaces missing. I do wonder on how other cultures will view this topic. Like how you mentioned on how it is important to control violence by laws, I wonder if others will judge this culture harshly or approach in a non-basis way.
1. For the most part, I agree with your take in this first section, but have questions about this statement:
ReplyDelete"Although there are customs and general rules about proper behavior, individuals violate them regularly when it seems in their interest to do so."
Do they? Killings occur, but do they occur within this realm of acceptable killings or outside of it? And couldn't the same be said about our own culture? With our courts and jails as full as they are, don't we also "violate" our rules regularly? And when rules are violated, don't people do so to advance their own interest? Why break a rule if it is NOT in your own interest?
2. Good, but other than being the reason for many killings, what role do women play in this practice?
3. "While they are still respected" (in reference to the non-unokais)
Are they? They have a difficult time finding and keeping a wife. That is because their lack of status and respect in the community isn't appealing to women and they are not likely to marry them unless their own status is so low there is no real disadvantage.
4.
Political structure: Good.
Social status/organization: Okay, but you are leaving out half of the population! How does this system influence the status of women?
Kinship: Good. It is important to remember how kinship influences who takes part in these raids. A man is not expected to take part in a revenge killing against kin. Can you see how it might be an advantage to be from a large kin group that extends to multiple villages?
Marriage and reproduction: Very good, though it would have been good to discuss the contrasting reproductive success of non-unokais, just for comparison.
5. You aren't actually answering the key question here: If killing is recognized to be socially/morally bad, why do we need laws against it? Shouldn't people just not kill? The point here is to recognize that there is killing in all cultures, including both the Yanomamo and Western societies. Both cultures have systems of dealing with it. But the question remains... why do people kill if this behavior is so universally recognized as "bad"?
Both Western cultures and the Yanomamo have laws against these behaviors, not because they are bad but because people may gain some benefit from engaging in those laws to the detriment of those around them.
We are creatures of biology, regardless of how "civilized" we might want to think we are. Killing can benefit an organism if they gain resources or a mate or defend their offspring in the process, correct? So that benefit is still there in humans, whether we like it or not. Killing is an instinctive, biological reaction to a threat of some sort, to our lives, to our family (genes) or to our resources, but it can also be a strategy to advance your survival, such as (for example) killing off a rival. Understand that this isn't excusing the behavior. It just explains it. But we need laws against this behavior, not because no one wants to do it but because sometimes people can benefit from this behavior... i.e., they DO want to kill because it benefits them. Laws protect us from selfish actions of others, acting to their own benefit and the harm of others
Hi Keyna,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post,I learned that Becoming an unokais, a warrior who has participated in revenge killings, is highly prestigious in Yanomamo society. Unokais gain respect, protection, and marital and reproductive benefits due to their demonstrated bravery and loyalty. However, they face significant risks, including the danger of being killed in retaliation. Non-unokais, who have not engaged in revenge killings, have lower status but also face less risk of violent death and tend to produce more offspring on average.
Hi K, I wanted to touch on the idea that we in our society do not violate these rules when it benefits us. There are many people in jails and prisons that have done just that; the difference is that our government tries to limit this by imposing consequences out of peoples hands and tries to make it seem foreign. Opposed to the Yanomamo whose consequences are not entirely out of their hands because they could very well fight and kill any other person who opposes them and have nothing extra bad stigma or anything happen to them. In our society, it wouldn't be a benefit to have people know you are a killer in any way they could turn you in and you would most likely be outcasted. My point may have been muddied somewhere in there but I hope my idea was able to get across.
ReplyDeleteHi Kenya, I enjoyed reading your post. I thought you structure your thoughts well and provided some good insight into the Yanomami culture. I also found it quite interesting that women favor or prefer a man who has killed before, offering a sense of protection. Comparing to you culture many women would turn in fear and discomfort knowing a man has killed someone. It is intriguing to see how different cultures beliefs vary so dramatically when looking a concepts such as this.
ReplyDeleteHi Kenya,
ReplyDeleteI liked your post. I did have a question, though, about the relationship between revenge killings and kinship. You mentioned a link, but didn't expound upon it. Is the link that these killings are related to the prior death of a member of a group, motivating the Unokai in that group to seek retribution? Additionally, in your last statement, you mentioned the necessity of laws to prevent further violence. What is the line, in your opinion, between a law and the enactment of a cultural belief?