ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author explains an emerging 'tribal elite'. Although the material presented here was collected as part of a study of human communications among the Plateau Tonga, it does, he think, throw some light on the character of a new and emerging agricultural elite. A general description is given of the economic position of these farmers, from which springs their influence. The author shows differences in the content and operation of the personal networks of commercial farmers when compared with non-commercial farmers. The tribal life of Africa has been examined using a theoretical structure based on kinship networks. Many aspects of social behaviour have been understood in terms of the rules and obligations relating to lineage. The network of genealogical links affects a wide range of social action such as residence, marriage, and inheritance. It also affects the day-to-day obligations of help and assistance in disputes and in the domestic labour unit.
