2. objectives Briefly talk about the different types of societies
Watch a short film on the evolution of technology and its influence on changes in society (illustrate point 1)
Reflect on the analysis of 3 classical thinkers in sociology on the nature of changing societies (Marx, Weber and Durkheim)
Watch the documentary: “Time for change” and discuss the classical analysis on changing nature of society and contemporary questions on where social change is heading (discuss point 3)

3. 4 prominent changes during time:
New industrial economy: the growth of modern capitalism
The growth of cities
Political change: control vs. democracy
The loss of ‘gemeinschaft’ community binding elements in society

4. Sociocultural evolution
“I studied the process of change that results from a society’s gaining new information, particularly Technology and came with a classification of 5 general types of societies through history”
Gerhard Lenski

5. 5 types of societies (Lenski, 1995)
Hunting and gathering
Horticultural and pastoral
Agrarian
Industrial
Post-industrial

6. Technological development as 1 metric for changes in society
Before we briefly explore the main characteristics of the different types of societies as categorized by Lenski, let’s watch Kevin Kelly’s story of technology
Technology is alive! What does technology want? How has technology influenced human development?
Kevin Kelly

7. Technological (determinism) !
Discussion:
What are the disadvantages of analyzing social change from a technological perspective?
What are other possible perspectives for the analysis of social change? What are other metrics?

8. Hunter and Gather societies

9. Hunting & gathering societies
Refers to simple technology for hunting animals and gathering vegetation
From the emergence of the human species until years ago, all humans were hunters and gathers
There are still about 300 million indigenous people that organize their society as hunters & gathers

10. Indigenous societies around the world

11. Main characteristics of H&G societies:
Small bands of a few dozen people living at some distance from each other. NOMADIC societies!
Based on kinship (family bonds). Family obtains food, distributes this and secure each other
Rarely used their weapons (the spear, the bow, knife, arrow) to engage in war
Social organization is simple and egalitarian
Most activities are common to everyone and centre on seeking food, some specialization corresponds to age and sex
Few formal leaders (often a shaman). Believed in different spirits inhabiting the world
Egalitarian society: equality among the members

12. Horticultural and pastoral societies

13. Horticulture societies
Horticulture refers to technology based on using hand tools to cultivate plants
hoe to work the soil & digging stick to punch a hole in the ground
About years old
Pastoralism is based on the domestication of animals

14. Main characteristics of H&P societies:
The domestication of plants and animals greatly increased food production enabling societies to support hundreds of people
Pastoralists remain nomads, leading their herds to fresh grazing lands/Horticulturalists formed settlements, moving on only when they depleted the soil
Domesticating plants and animals generates material surplus. Trade emerged between settlements.
Material surplus frees some people from the job of securing food, that other kind of professions emerged. E.g. crafts, priests, engage in trade, cut hair etc.
Social inequalities increased. Rich and poor (even slavery). Warfare.
Religions emerged, based on the worship of God, the creator. God is directly related to well-being of the world (Christianity, Islam and Judaism)
Material surplus=more resources necessary to sustain day-to-day living.

15. Agrarian societies

16. Main characteristics of agrarian societies:
The technology of large scale farming using ploughs harnessed to animals or more sources of energy
Technological innovations of that period: irrigation, writing, numbers and explanding use of metals
Large food supplies, large food surpluses.
Population and areas of settlements expands (e.g. Roman Empire, Inca and Mayan Civilizations)
Trade, growth of cities, dramatic social inequalities
Increasing production meant greater specialization: the rise of occupations

17. Industrial societies

18. Main characteristics of Industrial societies:
Technology that empowers sophisticated machinery with advanced sources of energy
Dawns with the Industrial revolution, approximately in 1750
Power supplies, electricity, steam, revolution in transportation and communication
Urbanization: emerging of cities
Social inequalities increased. Poverty and Richness .
Diminishing traditions: family and religion. Literacy emerges
Material surplus=more resources necessary to sustain day-to-day living.

19. Sociology is born
We wanted to understand social change. How society transforms. Sociology reflects upon the past, tries to explain the present time and envisions future changes.

20. How do the societies of the past and present differ from each other?
Explaining modern industrial society from different perspectives : 3 classical sociological accounts
How do the societies of the past and present differ from each other?
How and why does a society change? What forces divide a society? hold it together? Are societies getting better or worse?
Karl Marx
Emile Durkheim
Max Weber

21. Marx’s materialist analysis of society

22. Marx analysis of changing patters of society: “critique on capitalism”
In a society so rich, how could so many be so poor? And how can we change this situation?
There are two groups in conflict:
Capitalists people who onw factories and other productive enterprises
Proletariats: people who provide labour necessary to operate the productive enterprises of the capitalists

23. Marx’s analysis of social inequalities with the rise of industrial societies:
Social conflict: struggle between different segments of society over valued resources:
Capitalists vs. proletariats
To conflict between capitalists and proletariats has its roots on the ‘process of production’ itself:
low wages, maximum profit
Social change will come if we all abandon the capitalist system.
Transform what he calls False consciousness into
Class consciousness
Social inequalities increased during history: agrarian societies were much equal.
Alienation keeps inequalities in place and prevent social change: alienation from the act of working, from the products of work, from the workers, from human potentials
Capitalism is grounded in other social institutions: religion, political order and morality

24. Capitalism is the natural order
Capitalism is the natural order! I don’t have any talents, I deserve to be poor and remain poor
False consciousness: explanations of social problems grounded in the shortcomings of individuals rather than the flaws of society itself
False consciousness?

25. I am captured in a system
I am captured in a system. Hey, I don’t deserve this and hey, I’m not alone, I’m in the majority
Revolution!
Marx idealized socialism as the opposite of capitalism! “a more equal society”, according to Marx
Class consciousness: the recognition by workers of their unity as a class in opposition to capitalists and ultimately to capitalism itself

26. Weber’s rationalization of society

27. Tradition and Rationality
Ideas, especially beliefs and values have transforming power. Society is the product (not just of new technology and capitalism) of a new way of thinking.
Growing out of changes in religious belief, the modern world can be characterized as an increasingly rational world

28. Sentiments and believes passed from generation to generation.
tradition
Deliberate, matter of fact calculation of the most efficient ways to accomplish a goal.

29. Rational social organization (Weber)
Large scale organization
Distinctive social institutions
Specialized tasks
Personal discipline
impersonality
bureaucracy
Technical competency
Awareness of time

30. Bureaucracy became the symbol of rationalization and modernization
Bureaucracy became the symbol of rationalization and modernization. But it has a dehumanizing effect

31. Durkheim’s notion of solidarity in society

32. “To love society is to love something beyond us and something in ourselves”
“Patterns of human behaviour form established structures, these are social facts that have an objective reality beyond the lives and perceptions of particular individuals”
“Cultural norms, values, religious believes all endure social facts. Society is larger than individual lives: it shapes individual lives”

33. Durkheim’s notion of solidarity
Modern societies impose fewer restrictions on everyone but this gives rise to anomie. A condition in which society provides little moral guidance to individuals
The fall of morality: guiding values
Traditional societies are characterised by mechanical solidarity
Industrial societies gives way to organic solidarity based on productive specialization
What does Durkheim mean with the concepts of mechanical solidarity, organic solidarity and how does this relate to division in labour, morality and anomie?

34. Assignment: concept exploration
Question :
What does Durkheim mean with the concepts of “mechanical solidarity”, “organic solidarity” and how does this relate to “division in labour”, “morality” and “anomie”?
How does an expanding division of labour contribute to social change, according to Durkheim?

35. Post-industrial societies

36. Globalization, unequal world
Main characteristics of post-industrialist societies: (more in Unit 8, 9 and 10)
Computer-linked technology that supports an information based society (term coined by David Bell )
Information society, network society,
post-modern society
Liquid society: living in times of uncertainties
Globalization, unequal world

37. Contemporary thinkers: where are we heading?
Liquid society, a new form of society that is much more fluid than previous modern and traditional ones. Everything changes, we live in times of uncertainties, everything flows. Mobility is the key
Zygmunt Bauman

38. Manuel Castells: information/network societies
A new form of society dependent upon new information technologies and networking
Manuel Castells

39. Question:
Why do you think inequalities increased the more societies changed from hunter& gather to post-industrialization?

40. Documentary: Time for change
Reflect upon the following questiosn:
Do Marx’s , Weber’s and Durkheim’s ideas/analysis of society still apply to contemporary problems in society?
Reflect upon the following concepts: change, anger/rage, alienation, false-, class- and any kind of ‘new’ consciousness that emerges in these times, bureaucracy, good governance, debts, after watching the documentary.