Understanding Culture, Society and Politics: Justice Emilio Angeles Gancayco Memorial High School

Department of Education
Division of Bataan
JUSTICE EMILIO ANGELES GANCAYCO MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

Part 3: Human Biocultural and Social Evolution
Learning Competency: Trace the biological and cultural evolution of early to modern humans. UCSP11/12HBS-1e-12
I. BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
 Refers to the process whereby organisms undergo various genetic and physical changes that pave the way for
biological diversity.
 “The various types of plants, animals, and other living things on earth have their origins in other pre-existing types
and distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations” – Francisco Jose Ayala
 “Biological evolution is a process of descent with modification. Lineages of organisms change through generations;
diversity arises because the lineages that descend from common ancestors diverge through time.” – Francisco Jose
Ayala
 It continues to influence how people live and interact with other members of society.
II. BIOCULTURAL EVOLUTION

 “The mutual interactive evolution of human biology and culture.”
 The concept focuses on the idea that biology makes culture possible and that developing culture further influences
the direction of biological evolution.
 This concept recognizes the role of culture in social evolution.
III. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL EVOLUTION

 Different views on how early social and political institutions have developed over the course of history
 3 Stages of development of history according to Lewis Henry Morgan

1. Savage stage – lowest stage of development which is exemplified by the nomadic and hunter-gatherer lifestyle.
2. Barbaric stage – the middle stage of development where people began learning agricultural techniques and the
domestication of animals.
3. Civilized stage – the highest stage of development where people learned writing.
 Herbert Spencer applied Charles Darwin’s principles of biological evolution to social evolution.
- For Spencer, individual members within societies engage in a competition for survival whereby the superior ones
dominate those who are of the inferior type.
- This perspective believes that societies cannot be classified according to definite stages of development, and that one
society cannot claim to be more “advanced” than other societies.
- Additionally, each society and culture must be analyzed and evaluated according to its own specific context and the
influence of outside factors.
 Franz Boas, argued that human behavior is not rooted in biology but is socially constructed.
- Boas used empirical data to prove that much of what social Darwinists attributed to race was actually the product of
environment and culture.
IV. DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

1. Band-level societies
- The earliest societies which comprised of the hunters-gatherers.
- They were basically small and nomadic family groups and were plainly organized.
- Highly egalitarian and nonhierarchical.
- Leadership was based on qualities such as strength, intelligence, and trustworthiness.
- Decisions made were usually concerned with moving to another territory, food distribution, and the settlement of
interpersonal conflicts.
- Not considered as political organizations.
2. Tribe
- More formal social organization made up of several bands and groups that were connected through a clan structure
or kinship.
Lecture Handouts Prepared By Mr. John Albert R. Dela Rosa – SHS Teacher II - Social Science Page 1
- The leader of the tribe or headman was a more formal and established leader.
- The headman took advantage of the kinship ties among tribe members to assert his authority and power.
- The headman also performed other responsibilities such as resolving conflict; overseeing activities such as planting,
harvesting and the movement of the herds; and organizing feasts and celebrations.
3. Chiefdom
- Consisted of tribes united under one leader or chief.
- Within chiefdoms, the more complicated interactions among member tribes as well as the large populations and
territories further transformed leadership roles and gave the chief more complex responsibilities.
4. Industrial Revolution
- Among its effects were increased migration, the growth of urban populations, changes in lifestyle, increased
production, technological advancement, and the rise of the middle class.
- The inventions and technological breakthroughs that were achieved significantly altered economic activities, paving
the way for massive social, cultural, and political changes in society.
- The increased use of mechanical devices and the discovery of steam power led to the development of the factory
system which brought about many changes in society.
V. THEORIES ON SOCIETY AND STATE

 Society as a Natural Institution
- The ancient Greeks believed that society and its various institutions are a natural product of man’s interactions.
- The Greek philosopher Aristotle believed that human beings are by nature social and political animals, and that
human interactions fulfill certain basic needs.
- Aristotle considered the polis or city-state as the highest form of interaction which fulfills the highest need of man
which is self-sufficiency. For him, the polis is the reflection of the natural order, as the city-state is composed of
people who govern and those who are governed.
- The Greeks did not distinguish between society and the state, and Aristotle that it is only by living in a society that a
person is able to fulfill his or her ultimate purpose.
 Society as a Product of a Social Contract

- Institutions 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.
 Different ideas regarding the nature of the social contract
1. Thomas Hobbes, thought that the agreement was necessitated by the need to guarantee the security of the people.
Hence, the main role of the political ruler was to maintain order and security within society.
2. John Locke, thought that the social contract was needed in order to guarantee the fair and impartial enforcement of
the law. For him, human beings live in a state of nature governed by rationality and natural law. The primary
function of the state, as defined by the social contract, is to guarantee that individuals exercise their natural rights to
life, liberty, and property.
 Modernization Theories
 Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
- Developed the historical-materialist perspective, asserts that societies evolve in stages in relation to the development
of the means of production and its ownership.
- People are involved in a class struggle to control the means of production such as land and capital.
- Society is seen as being in a continuous state of conflict as the different classes within society attempt to control the
means of production.
 Max Weber observed the processes of rationalization and bureaucratization that happened in modern industrial
societies.
- More specialized functions have to be performed by social institutions as societies expand economically.
- The state bureaucracy became larger in size and its agencies became specialized requiring qualified personnel.
 Emile Durkheim distinguished archaic, traditional societies from modern societies.
- Described traditional societies to be bound by what he called mechanical solidarity, or a sense of bonding within the
community based on similar beliefs, values, and activities as well as kinship ties between its members.
- More developed societies are characterized by an organic solidarity where division of labor is more specialized.
*** END OF PART 3 ***
Lecture Handouts Prepared By Mr. John Albert R. Dela Rosa – SHS Teacher II - Social Science Page 2

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Department of Education

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

II. BIOCULTURAL EVOLUTION

III. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL EVOLUTION

 3 Stages of development of history according to Lewis Henry Morgan

IV. DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

V. THEORIES ON SOCIETY AND STATE

 Society as a Product of a Social Contract

* END OF PART 3 *

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