Name: Dela Cruz, Crissalyn L.

ABM 11- A

Subject: Understanding Culture,Society, and Politics

Topic: CULTURAL AND SOCIOPOLITICAL EVOLUTION: THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETIES FROM

THE HUNTING AND GATHERING TO THE AGRICULTURAL , INDUSTRIAL , AND POST-INDSTRIAL
STAGE

Instructor: Mark Christian Roble Almazan

LESSON 2

CULTURAL AND SOCIOPOLOTICAL EVOLUTION:

THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETIES FROM THE HUNTING AND GATHERING TO THE

AGRICULTURAL , INDUSTRIAL , AND POST-INDSTRIAL STAGES

INTRODUCTION

As societies respond to the threats and challenges posed by the environment , they
develop culture. The development of culture through time , called as CULTURAL EVOLUTION,
led to the transformation of different societies and political systems , a process called
SOCIOPOLITICAL EVOLUTION.

THE SOCIAL AS "DRIVER OF INTERACTION"

Gerhard Lenski(1924-2015) , an American sociologist argued that human society undergoes

transformation and evolution and in the process develops technological advancement , this is
called SOCIOCUTURAL EVOLUTION.

For Lenski, the development of technology , the information acquire by humans on how to
apply societal resources as a response to humans needs and wants leads to the evolution and
transformation of society. (Maciones,2006,p.44-45)

HUNTING AND GATHERING

 The oldest and most basic way of economic subsistence is hunting and gathering.This
societies produce simple forms of tools used to hunt for animals and gather plants and
vegetation for food.
 The relationship between man and women are equal.
 .They are NOMADIC SOCIETIES , most of the time hunters and gatherers live in caves
and pit or underground houses that are dug and covered with tree branches and leaves.
 HORTICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SOCIETIES

 Horticultural societies are described as SEMISEDENTARY SOCIETIES

 These societies subsist through small-scale farming.They produce and use simple forms
of hand tools(hoes and digging stocks)to plant crops..
 In horticultural societies , there is a surplus of food.
 PASTORAL SOCIETIES developed around 10,000 years ago and developed in dry regions
of the world where raising crops was not possible. The principal means of subsistence of
pastoralists is animal domestication.
 These societies are classified as animal herders and subsist based on the resources
provided by their animals.They described as semisedentary as well because they have
settlement but they do not stayed in one place permanently.
 As opposed to hunting and gathering societies, both horticultural and pastoral societies
are described as having unequal social relations because some members acts as the
ruling elite.

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES AND THE NEOLITHIC REVOLUTION

 Agricultural societies 5,000 years ago during the Neolithic Period (8000-4000BCE).During
this time , the Neolithic Revolution occured.
 During this time, human began to farm and domesticate animals as their form of
subsistencs. By 7000 BCE , neolithic people produced cultivation tools and developed
farming skills that can support and sustain a town with a population of over a thousand
people.
 This new form of economic subsistence eventually spread in different parts of the world
and it became known as the Neolithic Revolution ,which transformed societies into
agricultural societies.
 Animal domestication provided important contributions to the Neolithic people. Sheep,
goats and pigs were the first animals domesticated in West Asia between 8500 and 7000
BCE horned cattle .
 The domestication of cattle and sheep provided the neolithic people with addtional
sources of nutrition . Animal meat, for ex. provided them with more sources of protein
while animal hides and skin served as materials for clothes . Animal horns and bones
were also utilized for making needles and other utensils while animal manure was used
as soil fertilizers.
 During the Neolithic Revolution , agricultural societies developed and their population
increased into million. They also settled permanently and improved the technologybfor
farming. Through agricultural revolution , members of society produced surplus of food
supply that were transported by animal - powered wagons.
  The development of agricultural also led to an increase in social inequality because most
people in society acted as serfs and slaves while a few members became elites and acted
as owners of lands.

INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES

 During the Industrial Revolution , new sources of energy were harnessed ,advanced
forms of technology were apllied and machineries were invented . These change led to
industrialization or the transformation of an agricultural society into a production-and
manufacturing -based one .
 This was made possible by the use of advanced sources of energy that operated factory
machineries .
 It created centralized workplaces, economic , interdependence ,formal education, and
complex social systems.
 During this time ,people left their farm lands and trasferred to the urban areas to work
in factories.

POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
With the development of information technology and computers ,many socoeties
transformed into post-industrial societies.The Post-Industrial Revolution is an economic
development from the Industrial Revolution as economic production focused on the use and
application of new information technology rather than factories (Macionis ,2002,p 46) Macionis
writes that production "centers on computers and other electronic devices that create , process
and apply ideas and information"

 Daniel Bell , American sociologist at Harvard University , introduced the rise of the post-
industrial society.

EARLY CIVILIZATION AND THE RISE OF THE STATE

Civilization comes from the Latin word "civis" which refers to one who inhabitants of a city
and " civets" refers to urban community in which one dwell.

A civilization develops because of a society's highly advanced level of culture, social

organization,political developments , judical system,arts , and others forms of culture at a
particular time.

FOUR MAJOR CIVILIZATION :

  SUMERIAN CIVILIZATION-developed along the Tigris and Euphrates River in West Asia
 INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION-along the Indus River Valley in India
 SHANG CIVILIZATION OF CHINA-near the Huang Ho/Huang He River
 EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION -along the Nile River

DEMOCRATIZATION

Democratization is define as a change in political regime with a sovereign state from non
democracy to democracy.

https://prezi.com/m/nc5kyxd0u7oy/cultural-amp-sociopolitical-evolution