U ND E R S TA NDING C U LT U R E , S O C I ET Y A ND P O L I T I CS LESSON 4: CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND

CONFORMITY OBJECTIVES

✓Define Human Biocultural and Social evolution;

✓Discuss the stages of human evolution;

✓Explain the cultural and socio-political evolution: from hunting and gathering to the agricultural,
industrial, and post-industrialization revolutions;

✓Understand human cultural variation; and

✓Biological and cultural evolution: from Homo Habilis (or earlier) to Homo Sapiens in the fossil record.

HUMAN BIOCULTURAL AND SOCIAL EVOLUTION BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

- A natural process of biological changes occurring in a population across successive generations

(Banaag, 2012 p. 31) BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
- It is the physical transformation of modern humans from hominids into thinking modern
humans or homo sapiens. (studuco.com)
- Biological evolution is the process through which the characteristics of organisms change over
successive generations, by means of genetic variation and natural selection.
- It is most commonly defined as "changes in gene frequencies in populations.“ The result of the
process may be minimal or substantial; it embraces everything from slight changes within a
species, to the successive alterations that lead to the diversification of an organism into
countless unique species.
- It refers to the changes, modifications, and variations in the genetics and inherited traits of
biological populations from one generation to another.
- Scientists study the changes in the physical body of humans, the changes in the shape and size
of their bones.

CULTURAL EVOLUTION
- It refers to the changes or development in cultures from a simple form to a more complex form
of human culture.
- Scientist study the cultural evolution of humans by analyzing the changes in the latter’s way of
life.
- Cultural evolution is an evolutionary theory of social change. It follows from the definition of
culture as "information capable of affecting individuals' behavior that they acquire from other
members of their species through teaching, imitation and other forms of social transmission".
CHARLES DARWIN CHARLES DARWIN
- He was a naturalist and biologist known for his theory of evolution and the process of natural
selection.
- He was the first scientist to publish a coherent Theory of Evolution by Natural selection.
NATURAL SELECTION
- “It is the outcome of processes that affect the frequencies of traits in a particular environment.
Traits that enhance survival and reproductive success increase in frequency over time.”
(According to Ember, Ember, and Peregrine)
- The reason for occurrence of evolution.
- The outcome processes that affect the frequencies of traits in a particular environment. Traits
that enhance survival and reproductive success increase in frequency over time.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

- "Survival of the fittest" is a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way
of describing the mechanism of natural selection. The biological concept of fitness is defined as
reproductive success. In Darwinian terms the phrase is best understood as "Survival of the form
that will leave the most copies of itself in successive generations.

1. Variation- Every species made up of variety of individuals wherein some are better adapted to
their environments compared to others.

2. Heritability- Organisms produce progeny with different sets of traits that can inherited THE THREE
PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL SELECTION

3. Differential Reproductive Success- Organisms that have traits most suitable to their environment
will survive and transfer these variations to their offspring in subsequent generations.

STAGES OF HUMAN EVOLUTION ARTIFACTS AND FOSSILS

- Fossils refer to the human, plant, and animal remains that have been preserved through time.
- Artifacts refer to objects that were made and used by humans. HOMINID (MANLIKE PRIMATES)
- It is the general term used by scientists to categorize the group of early humans and other
humanlike creatures that can walk erect during the prehistoric times.
- The general term used to categorize the group of early humans and other human like creatures
that can walk erect during the prehistoric period.

FOUR CATEGORIES OF HOMINID

 1. SAHELANTHROPUS TCHADENSIS

- One of the oldest known species

in the human family tree. This species lived sometime between 6 and 7 million years ago in
West-Central Africa (Chad).
- Walking upright may have helped this species survive in diverse habitats, including forests and
grasslands.
- Studies so far show this species had a combination of ape-like and human-like features.
Ape-like features included a small brain (even slightly smaller than a chimpanzee’s), sloping face,
very prominent brow-ridges, and elongated skull.
- Human-like features included small canine teeth, a short middle part of the face, and a spinal
cord opening underneath the skull instead of towards the back as seen in non-bipedal apes.
SAHELANTHROPUS TCHADENSIS CHARACTERISTICS
- Skull similar to Australopithecus and modern human.
- Height almost similar to a chimpanzee.
- Brain size of about 320-380 cubic centimeters.
- Small Teeth
- Had the ability to walk upright. ARDIPITHECUS*
- Existed 4.4/5 to 6 million years ago, and they lived in the jungles of Ethiopia.
- Nicknamed as “ARDI” Also called “Ground Apes”.
- Walk upright on the ground, but on “all fours” in the tree.

ARDIPITHECUS

- About 3 ½ feet tall and ate mostly fruits & nuts.

- Discovered in 1994, but the study about them was completed & published in 2009
ARDIPITHECUS CHARACTERISTICS
- Height of about 4 feet.
- Weight of about 120 pounds.
- Skull size similar to an ape.
- Small brain.
- Biped.
 - Lived in jungles and forests like the chimpanzees. AUSTRALOPITHECUS ❖Also called a southern
ape.
- It is the next group of hominids after Ardipithecus.
- They lived in the African jungle from5 million to 1 million years ago.
- group of extinct primates closely related to, if not actually ancestors of, modern human beings
and known from a series of fossils found at numerous sites in eastern, north-central, and
southern Africa. AUSTRALOPITHECUS
- The various species of Australopithecus lived 4.4 million to 1.4 million years ago (mya), during
the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (which lasted from 5.3 million to 11,700 years ago).
- The genus name, meaning “southern ape,” refers to the first fossils found, which were
discovered in South Africa.

AUSTRALOPITHECUS
- Perhaps the most famous specimen of Australopithecus is “Lucy,” a remarkably preserved
fossilized skeleton from Ethiopia that has been dated to 3.2 mya.

AUSTRALOPITHECUS CHARACTERISTICS

- Brain weight of 500 cubic centimeters.

- Upright.
- Biped.
- Tool users only and not tool makers.
- Used sticks and stones for digging
- Lived in small social groups.
- Distance of movement was estimated to be 15 kilometers or more to search stones to be used
as tools.
- Food scavengers

TWO CATEGORIES OF AUSTRALOPITHECUS

Gracile Australopithecus- are a group of extinct hominids that are closely related to humans.

- They had small teeth and jaw. The following are families belongs to gracile:
Australopithecus anamnesis, Australopithecus afarensis, and Australopithecus africanus
are included in this group.
Robustus Australopithecus
- -had large teeth and jaws and muscular built for Australopithecus boisei.
Australopithecus aethiopicus, Australopithecus robustus, and the Australopithecus
boisei are included in this group.
“LUCY”
- An old Australopithecus afarensis fossil which was considered as one of modern
human’s earliest ancestors and remains as the most famous hominid fossil discovered.
 - It was discovered in Hadar, Ethiopia in November 1974 by the paleoanthropologists
named Dr. Donald Johanson.

HOMO

- Homo are classified as humans and not humanlike creatures because they had bigger brains and
were bipedal.
- It first lived in Africa about 2.4 million years ago.
- It includes Homo habilis(handy man), Homo erectus(upright man), and the Homo sapiens(wise
man).
CATEGORIES OF HOMO

1. HOMO HABILIS
- Known as 'handy man’
- Height of about 3 to 4 feet.
- Brain size half the size of the modern human(700 cubic centimeters).
- Made tools called oldowan which were used as cutting tools and made from volcanic stones.
- Used tools for hunting and food gathering.

TWO MAJOR TYPES OF HOMO HABILIS

a. Zinjanthropus
- The physical description of this specie was about 4 feet and could walked upright with small
brain. He used crude stone weapons for protections against predators.
- Discovered by Dr. Louis S.B. Leakey in Oluva Gorge, Tanzania, East Africa in 1999 which believed
to live about 1.75 million years ago.

b. “Lake Turkana” (“1470 Man”)

- This specie was about 5 feet tall and walked upright.
- Used more refined stone tools with a brain double size of a chimpanzee’s brain.
- This was excavated in Lake Turkana, Kenya, East Africa by Dr. Richard Leakey (son of the famous
Dr. Louis Leakey) in 1972 which considered by a shattered skull and leg bones. HOMO ERECTUS
• The “Upright Man” • It is believed to be more intelligent and more adaptable compared to the
Homo habilis. • Homo erectus manifested cultural evolution, because they used their
intelligence to invent and develop technologies to respond to their need. HOMO ERECTUS •
Skillful Hunters. • The first Homo species to use fire and to live in caves and small houses made
of tree branches. • The first to Homo to use spoken language. • They were also able to develop
religious rituals particularly burial practices. TWO MAJOR TYPES OF HOMO ERECTUS a.
Pithecanthropus Erectus (“Java Man”) ❖This was discovered by Eugene Dubois at Trinil, Java,
Indonesia in 1891 which was then called the “Java Man”. The physical characteristics of this
were about 5 feet tall; would walk erect; heavy and chinless jaw; hairy body of modern man.
TWO MAJOR TYPES OF HOMO ERECTUS b. Sinanthropus Pekinensis (“Wise Man”) ❖This specie
was discovered at Choukoutien Village, Beijing, China in 1929. This was about 5’2” tall, could
walk upright, and the brain almost as large as the modern man which was believed to live
500,000 year ago. HOMO SAPIENS ❖The “Wise Man” ❖The last genus in the evolution ladder
of the Homo family. ❖It is also known as thinking man. ❖Their anatomy is very similar to the
modern humans. ❖Believed to live about 250,000 years ago. HOMO SAPIENS ❖They had large
brain size(1,400 cc) that is almost similar to the brain of modern humans. ❖Lived in shelters.
❖Food gatherers. ❖Ate plants and fruits. ❖Hunted animals. HOMO SAPIENS ❖Learned to
gather and cook shellfish(164,000 years ago) ❖Used fire. ❖Crafted metals. ❖Homo sapiens
made sophisticated and smoothened tools and had more developed shelters and advanced
technology compared to the other Homo species. HOMO SAPIENS ❖They were able to make
more complex tools and different stone tools like fishing tools(fish hooks), harpoons, bow and
arrows, spear throwers, and sewing needles. TWO MAJOR TYPES OF HOMO SAPIENS a.
Neanderthal Man ❖Discovered in the cave of Neanderthal Valley near Dusseldorf, Germany in
1856. It was believed to appear in the high temperate zone in Europe and Asia about 70,000
years ago. They had physical characteristics as heavily built with powerful jaws, brutish and
primitively intelligent. They usually live in caved and dependent in hunting and fishing. They had
religious beliefs and more advanced than the homo erectus. TWO MAJOR TYPES OF HOMO
SAPIENS b. Cro-Magnon Man ❖This was more stronger homo sapiens than the Neanderthal .
❖Discovered by French archeologist Louis Lartet in the Cro Magnon Cave at Ley Eyzies in
Southern France. ❖Believed to live in Europe, Asia and Africa. ❖They were about 5’11” tall
with more developed brain than their predecessor. ❖ As a prehistoric man, they had more
improved stone tools, art objects and consistent hunting skills. PREHISTORIC ERA OF THE
PRIMITIVE MAN 1. PALEOLITHIC PERIOD ❖Old Stone Age: 3 million years to 8,000 B.C.) ❖The
common primitive men identified in this period were the homo erectus such as Java Man and
Peking Man; the homo sapiens such as the Neanderthal Man and Cro Magnon Man. 1.
PALEOLITHIC PERIOD (CHARACTERISTICS) a. The rough stone tools were used as main weapons
and tools such as chisel, knifes, spear and others. b. They lived in hunting, fishing and gathering
any fruits available in the forests. c. They were able to use fire which was used to cook their
food and to protect them from colds and threats from nature. 1. PALEOLITHIC PERIOD
(CHARACTERISTICS) d. They lived in cave and later learned to build primitive shelter. e. They
learned to developed primitive arts, personal ornaments, and other art forms. 2. NEOLITHIC
PERIOD ❖New Stone Age: 8,000 B.C. – 4,000 B.C.) ❖In this period, Cro Magnon started to
disappear and new people which was considered as modern man started also to evolve and
emerged. 2. NEOLITHIC PERIOD (CHARACTERISTICS) a. The development of refined stone tools
and weapons started. b. They made their own houses. c. They learned to domesticate animals
such as horse, pigs, dogs, cattle and etc. 2. NEOLITHIC PERIOD (CHARACTERISTICS) a. They
learned to use woven clothes as the protection of their skin. b. They began to cut trees which
was used as boat as a means of transportation and fishing vessel in the rivers. 3. METAL AGE
❖Civilization: 4,000 B.C. – 1,500 B.C.) ❖The used of metal such as bronze, copper, and iron
produced a new historical development from the cradle civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia,
Persia including India, and China which later spread through out Asia. ❖It serves as the
development of tribes, kingdoms, empire and later on state which was guided by political
doctrines, initiation of conquest, wars and trades. CULTURAL & SOCIOPOLITICAL EVOLUTION
AND ITS TIMELINE (from hunting and gathering to the agriculture, industrial, and post industrial
revolution) CULTURAL & SOCIOPOLITICAL EVOLUTION ❖Are theories of cultural and social
evolution that describe how cultures and societies change over time. A. SOCIOCULTURAL
EVOLUTION ❖The process by which structural reorganization is affected through time,
eventually producing a form or structure which is qualitatively different from the ancestral form.
❖ It is an umbrella term for theories of cultural evolution and social evolution, describing how
cultures and societies have changed over time. GERHARD LENSKI ❖An American Sociologist
argued that human society undergoes transformation and evolution and in the process develops
technological advancement. ❖“the more technology a society has, the faster it changes” ❖He
also argued that society can be classified accordingly through its type. 1. HUNTING AND
GATHERING SOCIETIES ❖The oldest and most basic way of economic subsistence. ❖Making use
of simple tools to hunt animals and gather vegetation for food. ❖Depend on the family to do
many things. 1. HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETIES ❖Although women and men perform
different tasks, most hunters and gatherers probably see the sexes as having about the same
social importance. ❖sexes as having about the same social importance. ❖People come close to
being socially equal. 2. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY* ❖People learned to use human muscle
power and hand-held tools to cultivate fields. ❖Classified as subsistence farming and surplus
farming. 2. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Subsistence Farming ❖Involves only producing enough
food to feed the group. ❖The settlements are small. ❖Neighborhood is solid. ❖Political
organization is confined in the village. ❖Authority is based on positions inherited by males
through the kinship system. 2. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY Surplus Farming ❖Practiced in thickly
populated and permanent settlements. ❖There was occupational specialization with prestige
differences ❖Social stratification was well established. ❖The community tended to be
structured by kinship relations that are male dominated. 3. PASTORAL SOCIETY ❖It relied on
herding and the domestication of animals for food and clothing to satisfy the greater needs of
the groups. ❖Most pastoralist were nomads who followed their herds in a neverending quest
for pasture and water. 3. PASTORAL SOCIETY ❖It was organized along malecentered kinship
groups. ❖It was usually united under strong political figures. However, centralized political
leadership did not occur. 4. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES ❖These societies were characterized by
the use of the plow in farming, ❖Creation of irrigation system provided farming enough surplus
for the community. ❖Ever-growing populations came together in broad river valley system. 4.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY ❖Those who controlled access to arable land and its use became rich
and powerful since they could demand the payment of taxes and political support. 4.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY ❖By taxing the bulk of agriculture surplus, the political leaders could
make bureaucracies implement their plans and armies to protect their privileges. ❖Social
classes became entrenched, and the state evolved. ❖Religiosity emerges. 5.INDUSTRIAL
SOCIETIES ❖The production of goods using advanced sources of energy to drive large
machinery. ❖Water power and then steam boilers to operate mills and factories filled with
large machines. ❖Weakening of close working relationships, strong family ties, and many of the
traditional values, beliefs and customs. 5.INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES ❖It is characterized by more
than just the use of mechanical means of production. ❖It constitutes an entirely new form of
society that requires an immense, mobile diversity specialized, high skilled, and well-
coordinated labor force. 5.INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES ❖Creates a highly organized systems of
exchange between suppliers of raw materials and industrial manufacturers. ❖Industrial
societies are divided along class lines. ❖Industrialism brought about a tremendous shift of
populations. 5.INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES ❖Kinship plays a smaller role in patterning public affairs
❖Industrial societies are highly secularized. ❖The predominant form of social and political
organization in industrial societies is the bureaucracy. 6. POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES ❖Transfer
of labor workforce from manufacturing to service. ❖A significant increase in the number of
professional and technical employment and a decline in the number of skilled and semiskilled
workers. 6. POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES ❖Education as the basis of social mobility. ❖Human
capital ❖Application of “intellectual technology”. ❖Focus on communication infrastructure
❖Knowledge as source of invention and innovation. 6. POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES ❖Depends
on the specialized knowledge to bring about continuing progress in technology. ❖It is
characterized by the spread of computer industries. ❖Knowledge and information are the
hallmarks of perfect world 6. POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES ❖It resulted in the homogenization
of social relations among individuals and the interaction between humans and the natural
world. POLITICAL EVOLUTION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY CIVILIZATION (the awakening
of great leaders and leadership) B.POLITICAL EVOLUTION ❖ Political evolution is thus a
dimension of the larger process of biological evolution. The emergence of political systems,
which long predates the evolution of humankind, constitutes a set of adaptive strategies with
significant evolutionary consequences. ❖It is the changes on the political structures and
systems of a particular society as evolutionary consequences happens to humanity. B.POLITICAL
EVOLUTION ❖The intellectual changes of laws through the intellectual advancement of human
nature. CIVILIZATION ❖Came from the Latin word civilis, meaning civil, related to the Latin civis,
which means citizen, and civitas, meaning city or city-state. ❖Refers to the material and
instrumental side of human culture that are complex in terms of technology, science and
division of labor. CHARACTERISTIC OF CIVILIZATION ❖Developed and highly advanced cities
❖Well-defined city centers ❖Complex and systematic institutions ❖Organized and centralized
system of government ❖Formalized and complex form of religion ❖Job specialization
❖Development of Social classes CHARACTERISTIC OF CIVILIZATION ❖Implementation of large-
scale public works and infrastructures ❖Sophisticated and detailed work of arts and
architecture ❖Advance technology ❖System of writing and recording FOUR MAJOR
CIVILIZATION OF THE WORLD ❖Mesopotamian Civilization- Iraq ❖Indus Valley Civilization-
India ❖Shang Civilization- China ❖Egyptian Civilization- Egypt POLITICAL ATTRIBUTES OF EARLY
CIVILIZATION LEADERS ❖Craft laws Implement laws ❖Impose justice and punishment Collect
taxes ❖Sometimes act as religious leaders as well ❖ Social and Political Systems POLITICAL
STRUCTURES OF EARLY CIVILIZATION Sumerian Priest POLITICAL STRUCTURES OF EARLY
CIVILIZATION Egyptian Pharaoh POLITICAL STRUCTURES OF EARLY CIVILIZATION Bhramin
POLITICAL STRUCTURES OF EARLY CIVILIZATION Emperor END OF LESSON 4: THANK YOU A