Nomadic Society Meaning and Definition
Nomadic society have no permanent place of settlement. The people roam from place to place with their luggage on the backs of camels, horses and donkeys in search of fodder and water for their animals and food for themselves. They have no hereditary property. They are more a tribe and have tribal culture. The cultural traditions have very forceful binding upon the members. Nomadic societies spread important knowledge in these three areas:
- Technology
- Domestication
- language
Characteristics of Nomadic Society
Population size: Population is very small sometimes not more than thousands.
Geographical mobility: Geographical mobility is common for the sake of food, grass, shelter water and income. They don’t have their permanent place of residence.
Absence of ownership: Nomadic People of society don’t have agricultural or ancestral property.
Traditional way of living: Their way of living is old and traditional. Old customs and values are practiced and transmitted from generation to generation.
Strict social norms: They have defined their own social norms which are very strict in practice. Strict punishment is awarded by their council to the violator of norms.
Local Culture: They are having their own subculture which include local language, dialect, dresses, marriage ceremonies, and practices on the occasion of death and birth.
Profession: Animal husbandry, labor and small cottage industry are the major professionsof the people. Now some of them are serving in Arab states as laborer.
Resistance to social change: People dislikes and strongly resist to social changes. They prefer to live with their own old way of living and culture as they consider it convenient. Therefore, very minimal changes observed.
