Sociocultural Evolution

By: Alyssa Patungan

There are five (5) levels of societies before the post-industrial and postmodern societies, according to Gerhard Lenski:

1.Hunters and Gatherers

•occurred more or less than 1.8 million years ago

•survive with what they have

•utilized tools such as bows and arrows

•Stone Age (Old and New)

•males were hunters, while females were in charge of the household

nomadic

Hunters and gatherers were undoubtedly independent human beings. There were no machines or any other things that could assist them with things they do daily. To get something they want or need, they would be obliged to work for it. Also, during this phase in the sociocultural evolution, fire was the most important technology hunters and gatherers were able to utilize.

 2. Horticultural

•occurred 12,000 years ago

•involved farming

To make things short, people who were in a horticultural society made use of hand tools to cultivate and develop seeds and crops.

   

3. Pastoral

•occurred 10,000 years ago

•animals were domesticated

•specializations of human beings commenced

•semi-sedentary

Right after the horticultural phase was the pastoral phase. As mentioned above, animals were domesticated. People in this society were expected to train and work with domesticated animals for the reason that they relied on them for transportation and most importantly, food.

4. Agricultural/Agrarian

•occurred 5,000 years ago

•diversity due to almost everyone having their respective specializations

•larger populations of people

•fertilizers were utilized

•irrigation system

•cities began to develop

•sedentary   

People who were involved in an agricultural society acquired their livelihood through animal driven plows and large-scale cultivation. They are engaged in food production.

5. Industrial

•occurred approximately 180 years ago

•machinery began to become highly known or recognized

•formal education

•massive production of wares

•number of (highly specialized) skilled workers increased

As society and technology increased and improved, the amount of material surplus and social inequality unfortunately increased as well. People in this society would rely on energy sources and various inventions.

6. Post-Industrial

•began right after Industrial

•production of information

•more services

Computer-aided-technology was finally introduced to the various societies around the world during the post-industrial phase. Without any doubt, it immediately became one of the most essential things in the lives of countless people.

Ideas by Experts

⁃“Great transitions in human societies, transitions that involve a qualitative shift in the mode of production, are an outgrowth of the intensification process.”

⁃For Lenski, sociocultural evolution occurs on two levels:

•within individual societies;

•within the ‘world-system of societies’ in general as part of a process of inter-societal selection

Essence in Understanding Society, Culture, and Politics

Surely, analyzing the sociocultural evolution is immensely necessary, in view of the fact that it makes the readers aware of the current status of the existing societies around the world. According to Lenski, inequality grows as societies become more technologically advanced. As of the moment, it is quite obvious that the world is suffering inequality issues. Things like these affect each person as part of the entire community, which makes the topic essential in understanding society, culture, and politics.  

Insight Including a Personal Observation Relating to the Topic

Based on the information about the topic being discussed above, it is somewhat saddening to know that as the technology human beings operate improve and improve each day, the issues we face grow and aggravate. It is also truly tragic to know how the people involved in these societies started from being independent to being evidently dependent on the technology we are provided with nowadays. Notwithstanding what has been said, there is still hope for the whole population, given the fact that Lenski believes that human societies go through a process of change which is characterized by dominant patters also known as a sociocultural revolution.

References:

Firestone, Mary. (n.d.). Pastoral society: definition & concept. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/pastoral-society-definition-lesson-quiz.html

Hannan, Paul. (n.d). Lenski's five types of society. Retrieved from https://www.sophia.org/tutorials/lenskis-five-types-of-society--2

Johnson, Bethany. (n.d). Gerhard Lenski's theories of sociocultural evolution, social stratification & technology. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/gerhard-lenskis-theories-of-sociocultural-evolution-social-stratification-technology.html