In anthropology, an acephalous society (from the Greek for "headless") is a society which lacks political leaders or hierarchies. Such groups are also known as egalitarian or non-stratified societies. Typically these societies are small-scale, organized into bands or tribes that make decisions through consensus decision making rather than appointing permanent chiefs or kings. Most foraging or hunter-gatherer societies are acephalous. Modern anarchist and libertarian socialist societies that have abolished social inequality (e.g., Freetown Christiana, Anarchist Catalonia and the Kibbutz) may be considered acephalous as well.

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Cultural Anthropology Terms

[edit] See also

• Anarchism
• Communism
• Non-Stratified Societies
• Social inequality
• Elitism
• Class stratification
• Egalitarian

[edit] References

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