HUMAN SOCIETIES 1

SOCIETY PEOPLE WHO INTERACT WITHIN A DEFINED TERRITORY WHILE SHARING A COMMON CULTURE OR WAY OF LIFE 2 2

VISIONS OF SOCIETY FOUR DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AND SOCIETAL EVOLUTION GERHARD AND JEAN LENSKI SOCIETY AND TECHNOLOGY KARL MARX SOCIETY IN CONFLICT MAX WEBER SOCIETY AND “RATIONALITY” EMILE DURKHEIM SOCIETY AND FUNCTION 3

SOCIETIES RANGE FROM SIMPLE TO THE TECHNOLOGICALLY COMPLEX SOCIOCULTURAL EVOLUTION THE PROCESS OF CHANGE THAT RESULTS FROM A SOCIETY’S GAINING NEW INFORMATION, PARTICULARLY TECHNOLOGY SOCIETIES RANGE FROM SIMPLE TO THE TECHNOLOGICALLY COMPLEX SOCIETIES SIMPLE IN TECHNOLOGY TEND TO RESEMBLE ONE ANOTHER MORE COMPLEX SOCIETIES REVEAL STRIKING CULTURAL DIVERSITY 4

THE WAY THE LENSKIS SEE THINGS TECHNOLOGY SHAPES OTHER CULTURAL PATTERNS. SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY CAN ONLY SUPPORT SMALL NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE SIMPLE LIVES. THE GREATER AMOUNT OF TECHNOLOGY A SOCIETY HAS WITHIN ITS GRASP, THE FASTER CULTURAL CHANGE WILL TAKE PLACE. HIGH-TECH SOCIETIES ARE CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ENGAGED IN A DIVERSE DIVISION OF LABOR. 5

TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETAL EVOLUTION APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE TO THE PRACTICAL TASKS OF LIVING HUNTING AND GATHERING SIMPLE TOOLS USED FOR EACH TASK HORTICULTURAL USE OF HAND TOOLS FOR CROP WORK PASTORALISM DOMESTICATION OF ANIMALS AGRICULTURAL LARGE-SCALE CULTIVATION INDUSTRIAL USE OF SOPHISTICATED FUELS AND MACHINERY 12 12 6 6 2

SOCIETY AND PRODUCTION SOCIETY IN CONFLICT SOCIAL CONFLICT STRUGGLE BETWEEN GROUPS OVER SCARCE RESOURCES SOCIETY AND PRODUCTION CAPITALISTS AND THE PROLETARIAT SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUPERSTRUCTURE FALSE CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS PLACING BLAME ON INDIVIDUALS 13 13 7 7 3

THE CONFLICT PARADIGM

CAPITALISM AND ALIENATION FOUR SPECIFIC WAYS CAPITALISM CAN ALIENATE WORKERS: FROM THE ACT OF WORKING NO LONGER HAVING A SAY IN PRODUCTION FROM THE PRODUCTS OF WORK NO OWNERSHIP IN THE PRODUCT THAT IS MERELY SOLD FOR PROFIT FROM OTHER WORKERS WORK HAS BECOME COMPETITIVE RATHER THAN COOPERATIVE FROM HUMAN POTENTIAL BECOMING A STRANGER UNTO ONESELF

RATIONALISM, CALVINISM, AND INDUSTRIAL CAPITALISM THE HISTORICAL CHANGE FROM TRADITION TO RATIONALITY AS THE DOMINANT MODE OF HUMAN THOUGHT RATIONALISM, CALVINISM, AND INDUSTRIAL CAPITALISM PREDESTINATION AND GOD’S FAVOR FROM A RELIGIOUS TO A WORK ETHIC RATIONAL SOCIAL ORGANIZATION DISTINCTIVE SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT SEE TO MEETING THE DEMANDS OF A GROWING, COMPLEX SOCIETY 15 15 9 9 5

WEBER’S RATIONAL SOCIETY BUREAUCRACIES WILL BECOME THE FAVORITE FORM OF ORGANIZATION, AND SOCIAL LIFE WILL STRESS THE FOLLOWING: DISTINCTIVE SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS LARGE ORGANIZATIONS SPECIALIZED DIVISION OF LABOR PERSONAL DISCIPLINE IS PART OF VALUE SYSTEM AWARENESS OF TIME TECHNICAL COMPETENCE IMPERSONALITY HERE ARE SIX WAYS A PERSON CAN TELL WHETHER OR NOT ORGANIZATIONS ARE MORE “RATIONAL” THAN “TRADITIONAL.” 16 16 10 10 6

DURKHEIM’S VIEWS ON SOCIETY MORE THAN INDIVIDUALS SOCIETY HAS A LIFE OF ITS OWN - BEYOND OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES SOCIAL FACTS ANY PATTERNS ROOTED IN SOCIETY RATHER THAN THE EXPERIENCE OF INDIVIDUALS SOCIETY HAS AN “OBJECTIVE EXISTENCE” BEYOND OUR OWN SUBJECTIVE PERCEPTIONS OF THE WORLD EXAMPLES: NORMS, VALUES, RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, AND RITUALS POWER TO GUIDE OUR THOUGHTS/ACTIONS 12

EXAMINING SOCIETY THREE ASPECTS OF DURKHEIMIAN THOUGHT: EVER FEEL LIKE YOU’RE A PUPPET ON A STRING? THREE ASPECTS OF DURKHEIMIAN THOUGHT: SOCIETY HAS A STRUCTURE AND ITS VARIOUS PARTS EXISTS IN AN ORDERLY RELATIONSHIP SOCIETY HAS POWER THAT IS DEMONSTRATED IN HOW IT SHAPES OUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS SOCIETY HAS AN OBJECTIVE EXISTENCE AS IT OPERATES APART FORM ANY INDIVIDUAL’S SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE

WHERE’S THE GLUE? WHAT HOLDS SOCIETIES TOGETHER? LENSKIS KARL MARX A SHARED CULTURE KARL MARX ELITES FORCE AN ‘UNEASY PEACE’ MAX WEBER RATIONAL THOUGHT, LARGE-SCALE ORGANIZATIONS EMILE DURKHEIM SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS OF LABOR

ARE SOCIETIES IMPROVING? THE LENSKIS: MODERN TECHNOLOGY OFFERS EXPANDED HUMAN CHOICE, BUT LEAVES US WITH NEW SETS OF DANGERS KARL MARX: SOCIAL CONFLICT WOULD ONLY END ONCE PRODUCTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE CAPITALISTS AND PLACED INTO THE HANDS OF ALL PEOPLE MAX WEBER: SAW SOCIALISM AS A GREATER EVIL THAN CAPITALISM, AS LARGE, ALIENATING BUREAUCRACIES WOULD GAIN EVEN MORE CONTROL OVER PEOPLE EMILE DURKHEIM: OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MODERNITY AND THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE FREEDOM FOR INDIVIDUALS, BUT CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGERS OF ANOMIC FEELINGS 14