acephalous
a·ceph·a·lous / āˈsefələs/ • adj. Zool. not having a head. ∎ having no leader or chief: an acephalous society.
acephalous
acephalous A term used to describe the political system of societies without centralized state authority—such as, for example, traditional African lineage political systems (see J. Middleton and and D. Tait , Tribes without Rulers, 1958)
. Authority is wielded at the level of the clan, lineage, or lineage segment. For this reason these ‘headless’ societies are often referred to by the alternative term ‘segmented’.
. Authority is wielded at the level of the clan, lineage, or lineage segment. For this reason these ‘headless’ societies are often referred to by the alternative term ‘segmented’.
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acephalous