Sociologically speaking, six of the groups are clan systems. Among these, the Saisiat, Bunun and Tsou peoples have patriarchal societies; the Taiya are lineal patriarchal; and the Ami and Peinan are matriarchal. The Paiwan and Rukai have no clans but rather a system of social classes, similar to the feudal system prevailing during the Chou dynasty (c. 1066 B.C.
以社群文化為例，各族中，六個族群有氏族制度，其中賽夏、布農和曹族為父系社會；泰雅族為父系世系社會；阿美族和卑南族為母系社會；排灣族和魯凱族沒有氏族社會，卻有類似周代封建制度的社會階級；而雅美族則以「漁團組織」為主。