Le contrôle social dans deux sociétés pastorales acéphales : les Toubou du Sahara tchadien et les Bédouins d’Arabie au XIXe siècle

What kind of social cement binds together acephalous pastoral societies ? The question is raised here through the comparison of two very different ones, the Tubu in the Chadian Sahara and the Bedouins of Arabia. We shall compare their situation in the nineteenth century, before the deep social changes that took place later on. Extensive pastoralism led them both to a similar way of life, and yet their social structures were ways apart, as concerns marriage rules and livestock transfers. Interpersonal solidarities were built on the primacy of agnates among the Bedouins of Arabia, as opposed to the intertwining of cognatic ties among the Tubu. The lack of political organisation therefore not being built on the same kind of « social cement », the social binding is rather to be found in very strong and similar moral values, i.e. honour (‘ird) among the Bedouins and shame (nuŋo) among the Tubu.

Keywords : Tubu, Bedouins, Lack of Political Leadership, Social Structure, Moral Values.