The video clip you will view (see below) is a scene from American Samoa: Paradise Lost? This...

Question

The video clip you will view (see below) is a scene from American Samoa: Paradise Lost? This classic description from the 1960s is typical of Samoan society and its traditional political leadership system. Note the chief was related to the people he governed. The economic exchanges in the Samoan village all were supervised by the chief. In turn, the village chief was responsible for the welfare of his villagers. Displays of economic distribution, such as the feast illustrated in the video clip, were important means for demonstrating the benevolent power of the chief. When the American government sent leaders to oversee this island nation, there were conflict between the traditional village system of distribution and reciprocity and the Western notions of how the government should operate.

Assignment:

Write a 2-3 page case analysis in which you respond to the following questions.

In what ways was the traditional leadership of Samoan villages different from typical American leadership?
How did the traditional system of chiefly power reinforce the close knit social system of village life?
How do the values of achievement and ascription operate in opposition in some leadership situations?
How does the feast illustrate the chief’s traditional obligations of redistribution of wealth in the society?
What are the implications of this case for economic and political conflict in the global community? Identify and discuss a similar case from another region of the world.

Tp Academic · Accepted Answer

CASE STUDY
Introduction 
American Samoa is a small island territory comprising of a cluster of seven islands and having a deep commitment towards ancient ways of cultural tradition and norms. The present study aims to understand traditional leadership structure and social system of Samoan village life.
· Traditional leadership of Samoan villages 
The Samoan villages follow a system of chiefs and at the apex of the society of chief is Matai. The chiefs fuel the idea of structurization of Samoan society (Sparrow, 2017). The system of selecting high-rank chief is based upon family connections, abilities and selections by other chiefs. This is very different from American leadership which is based upon electoral rights provided to people choose their leaders. Moreover, American leaders are having a group of executive who helps in making critical decisions. But in Samoan society, Matai are looked after by their family members.
· The traditional system of power of chief
The conventional method of chiefly power is a reinforcing factor that provides for a close net social network in village life since the selection of chief is based upon family connections and preferences by others chief. As stated by Yeung (2015), the family takes extreme pride in serving the chief, and his family shares the fortunes of the chief.

The video clip you will view (see below) is a scene from American Samoa: Paradise Lost? This classic description from the 1960s is typical of Samoan society and its traditional political leadership...

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