What is the difference between tribal and clan

The members are not allowed to marry from the same clan. That could be another reason for not having a common ancestry in a clan. However, clans are a part of the mainstream nation and more or less similar to tribes. They are also known as sub-tribal groups. Tribe can be recognized as a group of people who live together, sharing a common land and also are different from the mainstream culture of a nation.

Tribes are said to be mostly self-sufficient, and they have their own customs, traditions and beliefs. These groups of people are very distinct and independent from the large dominant society.

Tribal people can be referred as indigenous people as well, depending on their living area. Some tribal groups have migrated to other countries, and they cannot be considered as indigenous groups. Main features of a tribe are that the members are tied together by kinship relations and they have a strong connection with the place they live in. As mentioned above, tribes are mostly self-sufficient and they live a distinct kind of life, separated from the main society.

Tribes value equality and brotherhood always. They are also called sub-groups of tribes. Coming from Engineering cum Human Resource Development background, has over 10 years experience in content developmet and management.

A clan is usually unilateral, and it is never formed with the combination of the lineages of both the mother and father. It will always have an either patrilineal or matrilineal lineage.

Just like a tribe that consists of several clans, several lineages get together to form a clan. Clan names are formed after various grounds, such as a saint, a place, or a totem. The main function of a clan is mutual assistance and protection.

Just like unity is the basis of any tribe, the members of a clan possess a strong feeling of togetherness, especially because they believe that they are the descents of a common ancestor. When one member of the clan is harmed or injured, all the members get together to share his pain. A group of clans get together to form a tribe, whereas several lineages collectively form a clan.

A tribe is endogamous, while a clan is usually exogamous. Tribal people do not marry outside their tribe. In a tribe, the marriage inside the tribe is highly respected and appreciated.

On the contrary, the belief that all the clan members share a common ancestor restrict them from marrying someone inside the clan.

Every tribe has a tribal chief who has the power to make significant decisions related to his tribe. A tribe is divided into a number of small clans, and each clan is headed by its own leader. The chief of each clan works according to the instructions received from the tribal chief. The members of a clan accord with the common culture of the tribe, the larger social unit to which they belong. However, a tribe stands unique and does not follow the common culture of mainstream society. A tribe is a group of clans who reside within a specific geographical location.

They stand apart from the mainstream socio-political, economic and cultural grounds of the country. In contrast, a clan is a family that believes that they descend from a common ancestor. The main difference between tribe and clan, therefore, is that a tribe is an endogamous group of people while a clan stays exogamous. Furthermore, the size of a clan is smaller than the size of a tribe.