ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes the concept of the human career as the focal element in the dynamic relationship between individual and community. If anthropology is to contribute to the understanding of warfare, it must adopt a more dynamic approach. In particular, it must take cognizance of personal motivation and examine the interplay between individual interests and the social order. From the standpoint of the individual, career relates to the activities that give personal satisfaction, but from the standpoint of society, career performance is the engagement in tasks necessary for the maintenance of the community. One such task may be the service of protection against the outside or the exploitation of neighboring peoples through military aggression. Humanity has the capacity for aggressive behavior that can be institutionalized through social supports. Once this motivation for warriorhood is institutionalized, however, it takes on a life of its own.
