The power of prestige: Competitive generosity and the emergence of rank societies in lowland Mesoamerica

Citation: Clark, J. E., & Blake, M (1994) The power of prestige: Competitive generosity and the emergence of rank societies in lowland Mesoamerica. Factional competition and political development in the New World (RSS)
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Summary

This author explored the transition from egalitarian to rank societies from a case study of prehistoric chiefdom in Chiapas, Mexico, Mesoamerica. He stated that the political actors who procure for prestige or social esteem are the factor which drives the social inequality. This model assumes the presence of ambitious males who compete for prestige within a regional setting, and these people become more influential to organize resources and labors, which eventually involved in social and political power. However, this process might be a long-term, unexpected consequence, and it is necessary but insufficient condition for the transient to ranked societies, which differs from previous “social contracts” and “coercion” models. He also mentions that two necessary conditions for social inequality are social differentiation and a system of social evaluation. In this model, the prestige can be obtained by accumulating some resources for social display and competition. The availability, productivity, periodicity, and extent of resource are important to the development of political inequality. Besides, the demography, social interaction will also influence the process. Based on this model, the author examined the archaeological evidence from Mazatan region in Mesoamerica including population dynamic, development of ceramic technology, and adoption of agriculture to examine his arguments.