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Glite Dictionary
to detribalize

to detribalize

1 9.9
To cause people in a tribe to lose their traditional ways of life because of outside influence
  • verb
  • /dɪˈtraɪbəlˌaɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : detribalizar
  • Following Mark Rifkin, I understand the attack on "native social formations?" conducted in the name of civilization as an "organized effort" to make Eurocentric notions of gender "compulsory as a key part of breaking up indigenous landholdings, 'detribalizing' native peoples.
  • detribalized natives
  • detribalize indigenous peoples

Examples

  • The new policies aimed to detribalize the local tribe by encouraging individual ownership of land.

  • There was a multi-pronged effort to detribalize indigenous peoples.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Many indigenous communities are facing challenges to detribalize as they navigate modern society.

  • Efforts to detribalize affected the community's traditional practices and social bonds.

Synonyms

to deracinate
vsto detribalize
  • Formal
1 9.9

To remove people completely from their homeland and culture

causes community members to lose traditional culture without physical removal

How Detribalized

to detribalize
  • Specialized
1 9.9
to assimilate
77 6.1
to acculturate
  • Specialized
1 8.2
to modify
66 3.5
to retain
236 3.4
to preserve
496 3.4

Surface Forms

detribalize infinitive
detribalized past
detribalized past participle
detribalizing present participle
detribalizes third person singular

Morphology

detribalize = tribalize (semi-transparent) = de + tribe + al + ize

If a learner knows 'tribalize', adding 'de-' clearly signals reversal or removal of tribal character or structure.

Etymology

The word detribalize is made of de- meaning 'remove' and tribe meaning 'a group of people with shared customs'. So to detribalize someone is to make them lose their tribe's traditional ways or social structure, often because outside forces change their life.