Egalitarianism and Means of Social Control among the Swatis

Abstract

Tirls paper is an attempt to understand the means of social control among Swatis of District Batagram, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Conflict is inevitable and occurs in every human society due to a number of causes. However, human beings have created various strategies to prevent the society from total collapse. This research is basically focusing on the means of social control found in Swatis' society. In this connection it was found that cultural norms and indigenous laws are the major means of social control and support the society to function smoothly. Hence, "norms and laws protect the social order, without which societies cannot exist. Still, they are often ignored or violated, and the result may be conflict-the disruption of the social order" (Hicks and Gwynne 1996: 303). Moreover, human beings have created orderly and disorderly means to prevent the society from disruption. "Orderly methods of social control include dispute-resolving councils and committees; sanctions, either positive or negative, diffused or organised; courts; and divination. Disorderly methods of social control include feuds and wars, world wars, regional wars, and smaller-scale, intra-regional conflicts" (Hicks and Gwynne 1996: 315).