Abstract
A contextual framework is developed to account for the processes by which identity-signaling social groups might form among dispersed human populations. The model is constructed with reference to two early twentieth century gold rush camps in the southwest Yukon. Contextual differences between these sites lead to the consideration of (1) the conditions under which group identities and social boundaries are elicited, and (2) the role of material culture in strengthening within-group solidarity and regulating social interaction between groups. The utility of these theoretical constructs is revealed in examinations of stylistic data from contemporary Kalahari San villages in central Africa and Upper Paleolithic campsites in northern Spain. Understanding how and why ingroup/outgroup distinctions might initially form under conditions of residential mobility complements other rudimentary theories of social group differentiation and interactions.
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