Meaning and Features of Communalism for SS 1

Economic systems: Communalism

Performance Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain the meaning of communalism;
2. discuss the characteristics of communalism;
3. examine the merits and demerits of communalism.

Meaning of Communalism

Communalism is an economic and social system where the land and other means of production are collectively owned and controlled by the community for the common benefit of all members.

This system represents one of the earliest forms of economic organization in human history. In political science, the earliest stage of communalism is often referred to as primitive communism. In this system, private ownership of vital natural resources does not exist. Instead, resources such as land, rivers, forests, and seas are held in trust by the community, clan, or family head for the collective use of every member.

In traditional African societies, communalism was the foundation of social and economic life. Every member of the community had a right to a portion of land for farming and housing, but no individual had the right to sell or permanently transfer community land to outsiders. Production was carried out collectively, and the distribution of goods was based on the needs of the members, ensuring that no individual was left destitute.

Characteristics of Communalism

The main characteristics of communalism include:

1. Collective Ownership: The major means of production, especially land, forests, and water bodies, belong to the entire community. Private ownership of these essential resources is completely absent.
2. Cooperative Labour: Economic activities, such as clearing large forests, planting, harvesting, and building houses, are carried out through collective effort. Members of the community work together on each other’s farms on a rotational basis.
3. Subsistence Economy: Production is primarily aimed at meeting the basic survival needs of the community, such as food, shelter, and clothing. There is little or no emphasis on producing surplus goods for commercial profit.
4. Absence of Social Classes: Because there is no private ownership of the means of production, society is not divided into rich owners (capitalists) and poor workers (labourers). Every member has equal economic status.
5. Strong Sense of Solidarity: Social relations are characterized by mutual help, cooperation, and brotherhood. The welfare of the individual is closely linked to the well-being of the entire community.
6. Simple Technology: The tools used for production are simple, locally manufactured implements such as hoes, cutlasses, axes, and wooden traps. This limits the scale of production to subsistence levels.
7. Distribution Based on Need: The products of collective labour are shared among community members according to their needs, ensuring that the vulnerable, such as the elderly and the sick, are supported.

Merits of Communalism

The merits of communalism include:

1. Promotion of Unity and Peace: The collective ownership of resources and cooperative work foster a high level of love, unity, and social cohesion among community members.
2. Absence of Exploitation: Since there are no private employers or landlords, no individual can exploit the labour of another person for personal enrichment.
3. Social Security: The community serves as a natural welfare system. Orphans, widows, the sick, and the aged are cared for by the collective community, ensuring that no one is abandoned.
4. Prevention of Class Conflict: The absence of distinct social classes eliminates the class struggles, strikes, and industrial disputes that are common in capitalist economies.
5. Equal Opportunity: Every member of the community has equal access to land and other natural resources, which prevents extreme poverty and landlessness.
6. Low Crime Rate: The close-knit nature of communal societies, combined with strong moral values and collective vigilance, discourages criminal activities such as theft and fraud.

Demerits of Communalism

The demerits of communalism include:

1. Low Productivity: The reliance on simple, manual tools and the absence of modern machinery result in low agricultural and industrial output.
2. Suppression of Individual Initiative: Since wealth is shared and private accumulation is discouraged, individuals have little incentive to work harder, innovate, or take economic risks.
3. Slow Economic Development: The lack of a profit motive and the focus on subsistence production prevent the generation of surplus wealth, leading to stagnant economic growth.
4. Difficulty in Capital Accumulation: Because resources are consumed or shared immediately, it is extremely difficult for the community to accumulate the financial capital required for large-scale development projects.
5. Resistance to Change: Communal societies tend to be highly conservative, often rejecting modern technology, scientific methods, and external ideas in order to preserve their ancient traditions.
6. Vulnerability to Natural Disasters: Due to the lack of surplus storage and modern preservation techniques, communal societies are highly vulnerable to famine, drought, and crop diseases.

Review Questions

To evaluate understanding of this unit, learners should answer the following questions:

1. Explain the meaning of communalism.
2. Describe five characteristics of communalism.
3. Examine four merits and four demerits of communalism.