Information AboutClans |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT CLAN | |
| kinship and descent | |
| clan | |
| SHOPPER'S DELIGHT | |
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A clan is a group of people united by Kinship And Descent , which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor. Even if actual lineage patterns are unknown, clan members nonetheless recognize a founding member or Apical Ancestor . As kinship based bonds can be merely symbolical in nature some clans share a "stipulated" common ancestor, which is a symbol of the clan's unity. When this ancestor is not human, this is referred to as animallian Totem . Generally speaking, kinship differs from biological relation, as it also involves adoption, marriage, and fictive genealogical ties. Clans can be most easily described as sub-groups of tribes and usually constitute groups of 7000 to 10 000 people. Some clans are Patrilineal , meaning its members are related through the male line; for example, the clans of Armenia. Others are Matrilineal ; its members are related through the female line. Still other clans are ''bilateral'', consisting of all the descendants of the apical ancestor through both the male and female lines; the Clans Of Scotland are one example. Whether a clan is patrilineal, matrilineal, or bilateral depends on the kinship rules and norms of their society. In different cultures and situations a clan may mean the same thing as other kin-based groups such as Tribe s and Bands . Often, the distinguishing factor is that a clan is a smaller part of a larger Society such as a tribe, a Chiefdom , or a State . Examples include Scottish , Chinese , and Japanese Clans , which exist as kin groups within Scottish, Chinese, and Japanese society, respectively. Note, however, that tribes and bands can also be components of larger societies. Arab tribes are small groups within Arab society, and Ojibwa bands are smaller parts of the Ojibwa tribe. However, the Norse Clans , the ''ätter'', can not be translated with ''tribe'' or ''band'', and consequently they are often translated with ''house'' or ''line''. Polish clans differ from most others in being a collection of Families bearing the same Coat Of Arms , as opposed to actually claiming a common descent. This is discussed under the topic of Polish Heraldry . Most clans are Exogamous , meaning that its members cannot marry one another. Some clans have an official leader such as a Chieftain , Matriarch , or Patriarch . Apart from these different traditions of kinship, further conceptual confusion arises from colloquial usages of the term. In post-Soviet countries for example it is quite common to speak of clans referring to informal networks within the economic and political sphere. This usage reflects the assumption that their members act towards each other in a particularly close and mutually supportive way approximating the solidarity among kinsmen. WORD ORIGIN The word clan, comes from the ( Goidelic ) Gaelic 'Clannad' meaning Family , especially extended family. ALBANIA
ARMENIA
CHINA HONG KONG The five main Han Chinese '' Punti '' clans in Hong Kong are:
Manchu IRELAND INDIA Maratha Clan System JAPAN KOREA AMONG SERBS SCANDINAVIA SCOTLAND TERM USED IN MULTIPLAYER GAMING With the dawn of the internet and with many households now containing computers with a broadband connection, multiplayer gaming has become a popular hobby. In multiplayer gaming, the word clan is used to mean a group of people who play competitively against other people using organized tactics. Usually clans are named after real or fictitious military divisions and require a short abbreviated prefix before one's actual call-sign. See: Clan (computer Gaming) SEE ALSO |