A settlement pattern scale of cultural complexity

A Handbook of Method in Cultural Anthropology • Natural History Press • Garden City • Published In • Pages: 872-886 •
By McNett, Charles W., Jr.

Hypothesis

A 5-rank ordinal scale of cultural complexity, derived from settlement pattern typology, is presented (in increasing order of complexity): band, village, town, city and state. Linear regression analysis demonstrates an almost perfect relationship between settlement patterns and the average number of complex traits each culture possesses (872, 877)

Test

Test NameSupportSignificanceCoefficientTail
chi square, linear regression, multiple discriminant analysis, Kolmogorov-SmirnovSupportedp<.01UNKNOWNUNKNOWN

Variables

Variable NameVariable Type OCM Term(s)
Economic TraitsUNKNOWNProperty System, Production And Supply, Medium Of Exchange
Political TraitsUNKNOWNTerritorial Organization
Religious TraitsUNKNOWNReligious Practices
Settlement PatternUNKNOWNSettlement Patterns
Social TraitsUNKNOWNAccumulation Of Wealth, Social Stratification

Related Hypotheses

Main AuthorHypothesis
McNett, Charles W., Jr.Findings: A factor analysis of traits used to develop a settlement pattern scale of cultural complexity yielded three important factors. Factor 1, "Religion" (oblique rotation), loaded negatively and heavily on religious and ceremonial variables (245)
McNett, Charles W., Jr.Findings: A factor analysis of traits used to develop a settlement pattern scale of cultural complexity yielded three important factors. Factor 2, "Political" (oblique rotation), loaded positively and heavily on leadership and political structure variables (245)
McNett, Charles W., Jr.Findings: A factor analysis of traits used to develop a settlement pattern scale of cultural complexity yielded three important factors. Factor 6, "Economic" (oblique rotation), loaded heavily and positively on property, trade, and status variables (245)
Roberts, John M.". . . the game-type combination scale is positively associated with . . . indicators of cultural complexity . . ." (7)
Osmond, Marie W."The limited family [nuclear, stem and lineal] is found with complexity of economy, of stratification, and of settlement pattern; this type of family is associated with monogamous marriage and small family size" (304)