Final answer:
The society depicted in the film is best described using the term 'lineage orders,' where authority is provided by elders within extended family groups, often based on unilineal, segmentary lineages.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that best describes the lineages in the society depicted in the film is lineage orders. Lineage orders are social structures in which extended family groups are the primary means of social integration, with authority and leadership provided by elders and other situational figures rather than formalized positions. These societies are often associated with horticultural and pastoral production systems, where there is minimal surplus production. In many cases, these lineages are unilineal, tracing kinship through a single gendered line, either male or female, although there are also societies with ambilineal or bilateral descent systems.
Segmentary lineages, such as those of the Nuer people, are organized into minimal lineages that trace descent from a common great-grandfather, which are grouped into maximal lineages and eventually clans. Clans and maximal lineages lack formal leaders, but they provide a network to mobilize support in disputes between minimal lineages, thereby maintaining group cohesion.
In contrast, lineal kinship systems, often found in North American and European societies, emphasize the nuclear family and are characterized by bilateral descent, which traces kinship through both the mother's and father's lines.