People who interact in a defined territory and share culture Society People who interact in a defined territory and share culture

Visions of Society Four diverse perspectives on what accounts for social change and societal evolution Gerhard Lenski Society and technology Karl Marx Society in conflict Max Weber The power of ideas shapes society Emile Durkheim How traditional and modern societies hang together

Gerhard Lenski Sociocultural evolution–The changes that occur as a society gains new technology Societies range from simple to the technologically complex. Societies simple in technology tend to resemble one another. More technologically complex societies reveal striking cultural diversity.

Sociocultural Evolution 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.

Global Map 4.1 High Technology in Global Perspective

Lenski’s Five Types Of Societies Hunting and gathering The use of simple tools to hunt animals and gather vegetation Horticultural and pastoral Horticulture–The use of hand tools to raise crops Pastoralism–The domestication of animals Agriculture/Agrarian Large-scale cultivation using plows harnessed to animals or more powerful energy sources Industrialism The production of goods using advanced sources of energy to drive large machinery Postindustrialism The production of information using computer technology

Lenski’s Five Types Of Societies Hunting and gathering Earliest and simplest of all societies on earth Nomadic Have only a dozen or so members Built around family Consider men and women to be equals http://www.papuatrekking.com/Korowai_Kombai.html

Lenski’s Five Types Of Societies Horticultural and Pastoral More food so more people into the hundreds Greater specialization of work Increasing presence of social inequality Developed over 12,000 years ago as people raised animals instead of hunting them and created hand tools for crop raising

Lenski’s Five Types Of Societies Agrarian Developed about 5,000 years ago as plows or other energy sources allowed for large scale food prod. Expanded into empires Greater specialization with distinct occupations Extreme social inequality Women start to lose importance

Lenski’s Five Types Of Societies Industrial Developed in Europe 250 years ago as energy was harnessed to drive machinery Provides modern conveniences and advanced comm. and tech. Moves work from home to factory Reduces importance of trad. Family Raises living standard

Lenski’s Five Types Of Societies Post-Industrial The most recent state of tech. Advancement that caters to an inform.-based economy Shift from heavy industries to computers and information systems Requires people with information-skills; i.e. comp. Programmers Driving force behind the Information Revolution, flow of info. that caters to the emerging global culture

Is Society Improving?

Are Societies Improving? Gerhard Lenski: 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.

Are Societies Improving? 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.