Societal Structures and Human Development in Southeast Asia

Flashcards covering key concepts related to societal structures, human development, and subsistence strategies in Southeast Asia.

Society

An organized group of people sharing a common culture and rules of living.

Social Structure

A pattern of organized relationships among groups of people within a society.

Hominid

A member of a biological family that includes humans and their fossil ancestors.

Homo sapiens

The species name for modern humans, which appeared around 40,000 years ago.

Paleolithic

The period known as the Old Stone Age characterized by the use of stone tools and the hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

Neolithic

The New Stone Age during which agriculture and polished stone tools were developed.

Bronze Age

The historical period when bronze was first used to make tools and weapons, signifying advancements in metalworking.

Iron Age

A historical period characterized by the widespread use of iron for tools and weapons.

Foraging

The act of gathering food from wild plants and undomesticated animals.

Swidden Agriculture

Also known as shifting cultivation, a method of farming that involves clearing land for agriculture and then moving to a new area once soil fertility declines.

Polity

An identifiable political entity organized by some form of institutionalized social relations.

Chiefdom

A political structure consisting of a permanent leader, known as a chief, who has real authority to make decisions.

Democracy

A system of government in which power rests with the people.

Authoritarianism

A political system that concentrates power in a single authority, often in the hands of a dictator.

Subsistence Strategies

Methods used by a society to support their livelihoods, including foraging, agriculture, and mechanized farming.

Austronesian Expansion

The widespread migration of Austronesian speakers into Island Southeast Asia, beginning around 5,500 BP.

Agrarian Kingdoms

Territorial principalities characterized by economies based on surplus crop cultivation and coastal trade, developing by around 500 BCE.

Cultural Groups

Distinctive communities within societies characterized by their shared beliefs, customs, and practices.