> > > So how do you build a tribe? A strong tribe, in this post-industrial > environment*, isn't built from the top down. Instead it is built > organically from the bottom up. A simple tribe starts with cementing > ties to your extended family, a connection of blood. The second step is > to extend that network to include other families and worthy > individuals. A key part of that is to build fictive kinship, a sense of > connectedness that leads to the creation of loyalty to the group. That > kinship is built through (see Ronfeldt's paper for some background on > this): > > * Story telling. Shared histories and historical narratives. > * Rites of passage. Rituals of membership. Membership is earned > not given due to the geographic location of birth or residence. > * Obligations. Rules of conduct and honor. The ultimate penalty > being expulsion. > * Egalitarian and often leaderless organization. Sharing is prized. > * Multi-skilled. Segmental organization (lots of redundancy among > parts). > * Two-way loyalty. The tribe protects the members and the members > protect the tribe. If this isn't implemented, you don't have a tribe, > you have a Kiwanis club.
a shared threat, or threat perception, helps. - Ingrid
