Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

dysfunction and researchers withthis perspective seek out how to repair the institution and return the system to greater stability. • Conflict Perspective: Conflict theorists attempt to identify who is the benefactor to the existing social structure. They view institutional failure as the result of the ever present struggle between two or more groups seeking power or advantage. Types of Societies In general, societies grow from simple and small to larger and more complex. That’s not to say that all societies grow exactly the same; that is not true. Some seem to grow overnight; others stagnate and seemingly remain the same; and still others have disappeared. The ecological approach analyzes the entire environment as it correlates to society andculture. The five basic types of society are classified by the type of technology used to gather food and produce goods. • Hunting and Gathering Societies: These small societies, often less than forty members, rely on catching wild animals and foraging native vegetation. Every society started as hunting and gathering societies that wandered from place to place as their food sources ran out. Contact with other societies was limited. Within these societies, few statuses existed and few to no specialized roles existed either. There wasusually some differentiation between the young and old and men and women. The members of each society shared almost identical values. They tended not to accumulate wealth, but instead shared everything in an effort to meet their simple needs. Overall, they spend less time working than other societies. • Pastoral Societies: In these growing societies, families rely on domesticated herd animals. They are more productive and reliable than hunting and gathering societies. Even though these societies often wander, seeking new and better grazing land, they are often larger because they can support a larger group of people. Trading offers the opportunity to acquire power as weapons and wealth is accumulated. Power and wealth always lead to more variety in status. Political and economic institutions grow and culture becomes more complex. Trade also opens the door for inter-society conflict. Slavery is sometimes seen as a result of these fights. In general, many of these societies believe in gods that tend to their needs. • Horticultural Societies: These societies rely on the cultivation of domestic plants. Working by hand with hand tools, they remain settled in one area, only moving short distances as needed. These societies are more efficient than hunting and gathering. When able to store surpluses, power grows. As power grows, political institutions emerge forming new roles and class structures. As people become stationary (in a migration context), they put more time and effort into their artifacts, making themmore elaborate. • Agrarian Societies: Theses societies are an evolved version of the horticultural society. They rely on the cultivation of crops using tools, such as plows, and animal power. The plow was responsible for increasing food production and increasing agricultural output. Agrarian societies are much larger than horticultural and pastoral. The population can be as high as several million people. With the greater number of citizens, roles outside of farming develop; culture becomes even more complex, and newsocial classes and roles become available. Cities are established, and government entities emerge, including a concentrate power, like a

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