What is a Tribe and Why Do They Matter?

The following is adapted Assemble the Tribe by Leah Dean.

As human beings, we naturally desire connection, but the journey to finding belonging can be complicated. This is where our Tribe comes in. But before we can build our Tribe, we must first understand what it is and why it matters.
If we delve deeply into the history of the word Tribe, we will discover it goes back to thirteenth-century middle-English literature. Derived from the French word tribu and the Latin word tribus, the word originally referred to the three ethnic Tribes of Rome. Other early references cite the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary has four definitions of the word “Tribe,” which includes families, clans, groups of people with common interests, and even a classification below a subfamily such as the cat or rose Tribe. Based on these definitions alone, it is clear to see the word can mean many things to different people.

The use of the word “Tribe” has also moved into mainstream popular language. I Googled the word “Tribe” and within seconds got back 931,000,000 results. The findings ranged from ethnic references, to names of companies, sports teams, branding and marketing firms, and groups on Instagram. The word “Tribe” is everywhere.

In the academic realm, the use of the word Tribe is complicated. Some scholars use it, while others say to throw it out. In his book The Notion of Tribe, Morton H. Fried, professor of anthropology and notable contributor to the fields of social and political theory, contends, “The term is so ambiguous and confusing that it should be abandoned by social scientists.”

Despite these criticisms I believe the word Tribe is valuable. Here is my definition:

Tribe: Individually complex people with shared beliefs, values, or interests, who choose to come together, in various ways (physical, virtual, informal), to create relationships.

When we consider our Tribes, it is important to remember the compositions of Tribes are different from what most of us think. When most of us envisage Tribes, we think about groups, typically made up of three or more. However, a group is defined as two or more figures forming a complete unit.
That means your best buddy, an acquaintance you met at a conference, a running club mate — any one-to-one relationship can be part of your Tribe. Equally, any group of three or more people can be part of your Tribe.
Finding our Tribe isn’t just about having a large number of people in our lives or gaining friends or likes on social media. Our life experiences are more enjoyable when people decide to sink deep roots into our lives and stay for the long haul.

In 1964, Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life in prison along with eight other African National Congress leaders. Convicted of sabotage and conspiracy to overthrow the government, he was imprisoned for twenty-seven years, eighteen of those years on Robben Island. Mandela and the other prisoners were utterly isolated in solitary confinement. In his autobiography, Mandela wrote, “I found solitary confinement the most forbidding aspect of prison life. There was no end and no beginning; there’s only one’s own mind, which can begin to play tricks.”

When he was not in solitary confinement, it was the community Nelson created who helped him to survive. Gay McDougall, director of an organization that assisted thousands of political prisoners in South Africa, knew Nelson Mandela. She said, “One of the things that was extraordinary about Mandela is his sense that being in a group…of people…is an essential element in movement building and survival in circumstances that are harsh and oppressive.”

This is a sad but profound example demonstrating that even amid tough circumstances, finding and connecting with people can have a meaningful impact on our ability to survive. According to a University of Austin study by Debra Umberson, PhD, professor of sociology, and Jennifer Karas Montez, professor of sociology, social relationships can have short-term and long-term effects on our health, for better and for worse. These effects emerge in childhood and cascade throughout life to foster cumulative advantages or disadvantages for our health.

We are more likely to live longer, fulfilled lives if we have quality relationships that sustain us emotionally. Tribes are proven to positively impact our health. Through positive peer pressure, they also expose us to new experiences that improve our wellbeing. Tribes push out of our comfort zones and are also there to support us through difficult times.
Sometimes we may think we can get by on our own, but the truth is that Tribes help us to live our healthiest, most fulfilling lives.

For more advice on building a Tribe, you can find Assemble the Tribe on Amazon.

Leah Dean is a coach, speaker, author, and former chief human resources executive who has worked with leaders throughout the world to build high-performing teams, or tribes, for twenty years. A passionate believer in assembling tribes for greatest impact, Leah is the founder of numerous programs and events designed to help women and girls find their tribes and do great things. Leah lives in Bermuda with her husband and two children. Join the tribe and learn more about Leah’s work and tribe mindset philosophy at www.leahjmdean.com.