LOOKING BACK AT HUMAN

BIOCULTURAL & SOCIAL EVOLUTION

OBJECTIVES
1. trace the origins of culture and discuss the human capacity for culture;
2. describe the role of culture in human adaptation;
3. discuss the processes involved in cultural and sociopolitical evolution; and
4. identify the different views on sociopolitical evolution.
THREE TYPES OF SOCIETAL EVOLUTION
1. BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
Refers to the process whereby organisms undergo
various genetic and physical changes that pave the
way for biological diversity
2. TECHNOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
This is the stage where they learned to
create various tools and equipment for
their daily tasks such as planting crops,
domesticating animals, and trade.
3. BIOCULTURAL EVOLUTION
Anthropologists introduced this concept
Known as Mutual evolution of human biology and
culture. Where it focuses on the idea that “biology
makes culture possible and that developing culture
further influences the direction of biological
evolution.
THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
INSTITUTIONS
HISTORY’S THREE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
By: Lewis Henry Morgan (Anthropologist)

1. Savagery – the lowest stage of development which is exemplified by the

nomadic and hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
2. Barbarism- is the middle stage of development where people began learning
agricultural techniques and the domestication of animals.
3. Civilization-the highest stage of development where people learned writing.
HERBERT SPENCER – applied Charles Darwin
principles of biological evolution to social evolution.
CULTURAL RELATIVISM – the individual’s attitudes,
beliefs, and ideas are based on the cultural context
of his or her society. –Franz Boas-
Franz Boas- argued that human behavior is not
rooted in biology but is socially constructed.
BAND-LEVEL SOCIETIES – refers to the earliest
societies, they were basically hunters and gatherers
- distinctions based on age and sex, division of
labor was natural(men hunted and women gathered)
-leadership was based on qualities such as strength,
intelligence, and trustworthiness.
TRIBE
A more formal organization made up of several bands
and groups that were connected through a clan or kinship.

Headman – is the leader of the tribe which is a more

formal or established leader.
- he had significant influence among the members
of the tribe and recognize as a person of good
performance.
- resolves conflict, overseeing activities of planting,
harvesting and the movement of herds;
- organizes feasts and celebrations.
THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
- introduced the significant social, cultural, and political changes in the lives of the
people of Europe.
EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
1. increased migration
2. growth of urban populations
3. changes in lifestyle
4. increased production
5. technological advancement
6. rise of the middle class
LAISSEZ-FAIRE
Is the principle of nonintervention of government in economic
affairs. It is the heart of the doctrine that the economy works best
when left alone by government. The central assumption of laissez-
faire is that an unregulated market economy tends naturally
towards equilibrium. This is usually explained by the theory of
“perfect competition,” where prices of gods and services are not
dependent on government policies and are set freely based on the
interaction between supply and demand. From this perspective,
government intervention is seen as damaging unless it is restricted
to actions that promote market competition, such as the check on
monopolies and the maintenance of stable prices.
THEORIES ON SOCIETY & STATE
SOCIETY AS A NATURAL INSTITUTION
 believed that society and its various institutions are a
natural product of man’s interactions.
Ex: master and slave

POLIS or CITY-STATE – is the highest form of interaction

which fulfills the highest need of man which is self-
sufficiency.
SOCIETY AS A PRODUCT OF A SOCIAL
CONTRACT
An agreement made by the members
of society that defines and influences
their interactions, particularly with those
in authority.
MODERNIZATION THEORIES