Question

Answer the following questions:

1. Compare and contrast the six different societies (Hunter/Gatherer, Horticultural, Pastoral, Agricultural, Industrial and Postindustrial).

2. What type of work is in most common in each society? What are role assignments based on (ex--> gender, social class, etc.)?

3. What are the changes in technology?

4. What role does structural differentiation play in the transition from one society to the next?

Answer 1

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Society as an organised system of individuals has been influenced and shaped by a series of historical, technological evolutions. In all, social scientists have identified six different types of societies that differ in terms of their goals and activities which are socially valued, rules or norms and the roles ascribed to the members. These include:

Hunter/gatherer society:

The hunter gatherer society such as that of the prehistoric humans, is based on living in close proximity with the natural environment and the members use activities like hunting wild animals, foraging fruits, tubules and nuts as major source of sustenance or survival. The family serves as the primary institution and they tend to be small Andy live a nomadic life moving form one place to another in search of food and safety. The members display high levels of interdependence, and their is set gender- based division of labour.

Horticultural Society:

the horticultural society emerge dreams out of the hunter gatherer society as a direct result of the domestication of plants and animals. It led to the development a pastoral lifestyle when families began to settle down at one place on a relatively permanent basis. They emerged 10,000-12,000 years ago in the fertile river valleys of the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. Horticultural societies are marked by the use of simple hand tools to grow domesticated crops. Along with plants, the domestication and breeding of animals for food is another crucial part of pastoral societies.

Agricultural society:

As Societies began to produce more food than they needed, there was increase in job specilaiation. People were now able to develop new skills and help out in other ways than food. The invention of the plow led to the development of agrarian societies and people now began to tend to their crops with an animal harnessed to a plow.

Pastoral society:

This type of society relies on the domestication of animals as a resource for survival. Unlike earlier hunter-gatherers who depended entirely on existing resources, pastoral groups were able to breed livestock for food, clothing, and transportation, and they thus created a surplus of goods. pastoral societies like the Maasai Maara of Central Africa have remained nomadic because they follow their animals to fresh feeding grounds. There was greater differentiation of work according to gender. As people moved toward domesticating animals, the male members of agrarian societies tended to dominate more of the workforce, since physical strength was necessary to control animals and it was associated with masculinity rather than females.

Industrial and Post Industrial society:

The industrial society is characterised by the dependence and development of technology as a source of energy rather than human and animals. The steam engine is thought to have sparked industrialized societies. Industrialised societies are based on production, post industrial societies such as contemporary developed societies in the cities of Europe, The United States, and Australia are based on the development of services and technology as major source of progress and survival.