The New Tribalism

One of the biggest developments in today’s world is the rise of the new tribalism.

The tribe is the most basic form of human organization it is a band of people who come together to stay alive in the face of difficult conditions. A tribe is not just a band of primitive hunter gatherers it can be a group of people fighting to stay alive and keep themselves fed in our modern world.

The New Tribes as described by John Robb are groups that will arise to replace traditional organizations and loyalties. People will form these tribes because they need to keep themselves fed, housed, entertained, educated, motivated and protected in an ever changing world.

Around the world we see historic organizations and institutions such as the nation state, some traditional religious institutions (such as the Main Line Protestant churches in the United States), labor unions, neighborhoods, corporations, small towns, schools and families failing to meet people’s needs. We also see some institutions, such as the American educational system, doing a poor job of meeting people’s needs.

The New Tribalism is strongest in failed nation states (such as Somalia and Iraq) and regions of nation states where traditional society has broken down (American sums and French housing projects). In many cases New Tribes will assume the functions that government and traditional institutions fail to provide. For example gangs and militias have taken the place of the police in Brazilian slums. Traditional Islamic schools provide education to poor Pakistanis because government schools don’t exist. Street gangs and organized crime take the place of the regular economy in some American and Latin American slums.

Now New Tribalism isn’t necessarily a bad thing yes street gangs are tribes by Mr. Robb’s definition but so is the Salvation Army. In many American cities the Salvation Army provides social services to the poorest people that government can’t or won’t. For example it actually provides hungry people with food while government provides confusing forms to fill out.

So what are some examples of the New Tribes and how do we deal with them? Well I’ll attempt to provide a short definition here. Here are a few rough thoughts on the subject that certainly need to be fleshed out:

• Technological Tribes are groups of people who come together because they share a mutual interest in some technology. They use their knowledge and skill in the manipulation of that technology to survive and prosper. Computer hackers are a perfect example of a Technological Tribe. Long term Technological Tribes could become formal organizations similar to Medieval Guilds which will dominate the economy through technological prowess.
• Warrior Tribes are groups of people that come together to fight some enemy real or imagined. Terrorist groups and street gangs are warrior tribes. So are British soccer hooligans. (See the movie Green Street Hooligans for an excellent look at the appeal of this behavior to young men). Warrior tribes have a strong appeal to young men because they provide discipline, purpose, leadership, excitement and adventure. Military forces and Marxist guerrilla groups could degenerate into Warrior Tribes. In the long run Warrior Tribes could become mercenary organizations. Selling their product namely violence to the highest bidder.

• Economic Tribes are individuals that come together to protect their economic interests. For example a group of merchants that wants to drive out competitors or workers seeking a better salary. Expect to see many such groups of people trying to get a better deal in the new world economy. Organized crime groups like drug cartels are a perfect example of an economic tribe.

• Religious Tribes come together around their faith which defines their life. Orthodox Jews, the Amish and Mormons would be perfect examples of religious tribes. Such groups will be very attractive in some parts of the world in the years ahead. Often because they will be eating and enjoying something like a normal family life while those around them aren’t. Many of these groups will have to take up arms to defend themselves from jealous neighbors in the near future.

• Ideological Tribes are similar to Religious Tribes except they come together around a strongly held belief. They believe they are right and everybody else is wrong. This gives them a motivation to survive and fight. Marxist guerrillas, Animal Rights Activists, Radical Environmentalists, and American White Supremacists are examples of Ideological Tribes. Ideological Tribes often evolve into Warrior Tribes which evolve into Economic Tribes.

• Residual Tribes are the remnants of older institutions that have the discipline, organization, skill and wherewithal to survive in the new order. In many cases their members just want to protect what they have and have the guns or skills to do so. A good example of this would be the KGB which has prospered in Post Communist Russia. Another example would be the Pakistani Army, which is still a potent and powerful force in Pakistan sixty years after the British Empire that created it collapsed. Expect to see many military and law enforcement organizations all over the world survive as residual tribes protecting their own interests and preserving their status as society collapses.

These are just some rough thoughts here but I have a feeling we’ll a strong body of scholarship about the New Tribes as they become a feature in our lives.