Society and Sociocultural Evolution (Lenski and Classic Sociologists)

Flashcards cover: basic definition of society, Lenski's sociocultural evolution and the five stages (hunting & gathering, agrarian, industrial, post-industrial, plus the mechanisms of change), and perspectives from Marx, Weber, and Durkheim, including the social consequences of technology and inequality.

What is a society?

A group of people who share a culture and a territory.

What is sociocultural evolution?

The changes that occur as a society gains new technology.

Who developed Lenski's five-type framework for societies?

Gerhard Lenski.

Describe hunting and gathering societies.

Societies that use extremely basic tools, are nomadic, and small in size; rely on hunting, gathering, and shared resources; maintain very low inequality.

What marks agrarian societies?

Permanent settlements based around agricultural production with increasing social inequality; the family becomes less central and some functions are taken up by larger social institutions.

What characterizes industrial societies?

Beginning with the industrial revolution (~1750); power shifts to machines; mass production and surpluses; urbanization; centralized control; rise of a capital-based economy and greater inequality.

What are post-industrial societies?

Economies based on information, services, and technology rather than raw manufacturing; continued specialization and urbanization; growth in tech, finance, and service sectors.

What is mechanical solidarity?

Durkheim's idea that early societies are held together by sameness and shared tasks.

What is organic solidarity?

Durkheim's idea that more complex societies are held together by interdependence and specialization.

How does Marx view societal change?

Historical materialism: changes in the forces of production drive change, and class struggle/revolution move society to a new mode of production.

How does Weber view the transition to modern society?

A shift driven by rationalization and ideas, with technology and new ideas (e.g., accounting, organization) combining to produce change.

What role does Durkheim assign to social structure in Lenski's framework?

Durkheim emphasizes the long-term transition from mechanical to organic solidarity driven by changes in social structure and interdependence.

What institutional changes accompany industrial societies?

Universal public education and institutionalized health care/caregiving outside the home (e.g., hospitals) become common.

Why does industrial society require centralized control?

To keep production, transportation, and agricultural systems organized as populations urbanize and surpluses grow.

What is a major cost of technological progress mentioned in the notes?

Pollution, global warming, and large-scale warfare; technology can reorganize society but does not by itself create peaceful or just societies.

How does technology affect inequality?

Advancing technology tends to increase inequality within and across societies.