Chapter 4, Section 3

 A group is a set of people who interact on the basis of shared expectations and who have some common identity.  Societies are the largest examples of a group.  Societies are classified by subsistence strategies, or how a society uses technology to provide for the needs of its members.  Three main types: preindustrial, industrial, postindustrial.

 Food production is the main economic activity.  Four subdivisions: hunting and gathering, pastoral, horticultural, agricultural.  Divided on the basis of how they produce food and their level of technology.

 Main form of food production= collection of wild plants and hunting of animals.  Characteristics:  Move around constantly in search of food;  No permanent villages;  Smaller size  people;  Equality;  Family is the main social unit.

 Main form of food production= domesticated herd animals.  Characteristics:  Move around to new pastures for animals;  Can support larger populations;  Food surpluses  division of labor Specialization of tasks by individuals

 Main form of food production= fruits and vegetables grown in a garden.  Characteristics:  Size of society depends on land available for farming;  Food surpluses  division of labor;  Inequalities in wealth and power

 Main form of food production= domesticated animals used to plow fields to grow crops.  Characteristics:  Use of irrigation and terracing techniques;  Can support very large populations;  Development of cities and more-advanced technology.

 Emphasis shifts from food production to the production of manufactured goods.  Food production is carried out w/help of machines-- can produce faster.  Can yield greater population sizes.  Industrialization can lead to urbanization= concentration of population in cities.  Greater productivity, but less skill for workers.  Competition for social position.

 Economy is centered around the providing of information and services.  In the United States, roughly 73% of the pop’n is involved in these fields.  Characteristics:  Standard of living and quality of life improve;  Emphasis on science and education;  Social equality and democracy.

 Emile Durkheim used the concepts of mechanical and organic solidarity to describe social relationships within a society.  Mechanical solidarity= people share values and perform same tasks; united.  Organic solidarity= impersonal social relationships; relationships based on need rather than value.