Final answer:
True, most foraging societies are organized as bands, which are small, egalitarian, and highly mobile groups that make decisions through consensus without formal political structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that most foraging societies are organized as bands is true. Foraging societies, also known as gathering-hunting or hunter-gatherer societies, are typically small, nomadic groups that subsist on wild plants and animals. These societies are characterized by a lack of formal political structure, making decisions through discussion and consensus among members rather than through formal leadership roles. Anthropologist Elman Service described these societies as 'band societies.' The egalitarian nature of these bands is a core aspect, with responsibilities such as hunting and gathering often divided by gender, but with all resources being shared equally amongst members.
Bands are highly mobile, moving with the seasons to follow food sources, and they demonstrate strong cooperative bonds within the group, particularly when resources become scarce. In such times, they may request permission to use neighboring territories for sustenance, which is typically granted due to established relationships through marriage and friendship. Moreover, ancestral foraging societies like hunter-gatherers, the Hadza, or the Bantu, showed decentralized forms of authority and kin-based organization without any strict hierarchical structures.