Clan sayfasının kaynağını görüntüle

== Clans as political units ==

In different cultures and situations, a clan does not usually mean the same thing as other kin-based groups, such as [[tribe]]s, and [[Band society|bands]].  Often, the distinguishing factor is that a clan is a smaller part of a larger [[society]] such as a [[chiefdom]], or a [[Sovereign state|state]]. In some societies, clans may have an official leader such as a [[Tribal chief|chieftain]], [[Matriarchy|matriarch]],<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/matriarch
| title = Definition of MATRIARCH
| website = www.merriam-webster.com
| access-date = 2016-03-02
}}</ref> or [[patriarch]]; in others, leadership positions may have to be achieved, or people may say that "elders" make decisions.

Examples include [[Irish clans|Irish]], [[Scottish clan|Scottish]], [[Chinese clan|Chinese]], [[Bon-gwan|Korean]], [[Japanese clans|Japanese]], [[Jat]] and the [[Nair|Nair (Malayala Kshatriya)]] clans, which exist as [[kin group]]s within their respective nations. Note, however, that tribes and bands can also be components of larger societies. However, the early [[Norse clans]], the ''ætter'', are often translated as ''house'' or ''line''. The Biblical 'tribes' of Israel were composed of many clans.<ref>See, for example, 1 Chronicles 4 and Numbers 26 in the Old Testament.</ref> [[Tribes of Arabia|Arab clans]] are sub-tribal groups within Arab society. [[Ojibwa]] bands are smaller parts of the Ojibwa tribe or people in [[North America]], as one example of the many Native American peoples distinguished by language and culture, most having clans and bands as the basic kinship organizations. In some cases more than one tribe recognized each other's clans; for instance, both the [[Chickasaw]] and [[Choctaw]] tribes had fox and bear clans whose membership could supersede the tribe.{{citation needed|date=August 2011}}

Apart from these different historical traditions of kinship, conceptual confusion arises from colloquial usages of the term. In post-[[Soviet Union|Soviet]] countries, for example, it is quite common to speak of "clans" in reference 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. [[Poland|Polish]] clans differ from most others as they are a collection of [[families]] who bear the same [[coat of arms]], as opposed to claiming a common descent (see [[Polish heraldry]]). There are multiple closely related clans in the Indian sub-continent, especially south India.