Understanding Culture, Society and Politics: Accessible Teachers Materials

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
Accessible Teachers Materials

TEACHERS REFERENCE GUIDE
STUDENT LEARNING MANUAL
Prepared by
Headwaters College – Elizabeth Campus
Academic Department
July 2020
Week 3
CHAPTER 2
TOPIC: Human Biological and Sociopolitical Evolution
Scope: 1.1. Hominization and Evolution

1.2. Humanization and politics
Chapter 2- Human Biological and Sociopolitical Evolution
Everything in the universe has an origin.
Society, culture and politics- concepts that have been discussed in the previous chapter all started from
the slow process of human evolution that has taken millions of years. The biological evolution of the
first human the invention of tools, the discovery of fire, the prehistoric beliefs, and more are all
foundation of the kind of culture and society presently existing.
Lesson 1- Hominization and Evolution
For humans, history started at Hominization, or evolutionary development of human characteristics
that made hominids (organisms belonging in the Homo genus) distinct from their primate ancestors. It
is the stage that people have found the first sign of human achievement.
Himinids differs from their predecessor, the Australopithecus, the the sense that they are the first to
HEADWATERS COLLEGE – ELIZABETH CAMPUS
K to 12 Senior High School Department
use stone tools for survival. Both genera are known to be bipedal, but beings in the genus homo have
expanded brains, enlarged bodies. Less sexual dimorphism, narrower limb proportion, reduced size of
cheek, teeth of crania.
The first hominid is homo rodulfensis, discovered by anthropologist Richard Leakey and Meave Leakey
in Kenya in 1972? However some scholars believe that this specie should be classified under the genus
Australopithecus, since it's molar and premolar teeth resemble those of it's predecessor, although it's
brain is similar to those of the other himinids. More studies have yet to be made regarding this specie
to know more about it's Culture and social living, if there was any.
As if now, anthropologist have traced the history of humans to the next himinids, the homo habilis.
Homo Habilis
It is to the Homo habilis nonetheless that people owe their first relics of tools, anthropologist suggest.
Tool using is not confined to humans but scholars said that this specie has shown remarkable
evolutionary efficiency in a creative manner. Early traces of Homo habilis date back approximately 1.9
million years ago (Mya) in a site at Olduvai George, Tanzania. Here, the first identified building a
windbreak of stones has been found.
It is generally believed that the skill of tool-making has been carried from Eastern Africa, spreading to
most parts of Asia. The survival of this group of hominids in the different regions of Earth only shows it's
capacity to adopt with the changing condition of the planet.
Homo Erectus
The next significant stage in the evolution of human Culture took place roughly less than two Million
years ago. The Homo Erectus best represented by the Java Man discovered in Java, Indonesia, was
believed to be crucial in defining the moments by which humanity evolved. Many scholars theorized
that this specie had the capacity to manipulate his environment in order to survive.
Renowned history J.M Roberts talked about the achievements of Homo Erectus in his book History of
the World (2003).
Another achievements made by the Homo Erectus was hunting.
Homo Neanderthalensis
Neanderthals or the beings under the specie Homo Neanderthalensis, were similar to homo Erectus
who walked erect and had big crania. Found in Africa and Asia, they were more primitive in comparison
to modern humans, but they exhibited similar mental sophistication by wearing animal skins and furs to
protect them from changing weather conditions.
It was also the Neanderthals who were deemed to be the first to bury their dead.
Homo Sapiens
Homo Sapiens succeded the Neanderthals. With a smaller face, lighter skull with bigger provision for
brain and straighter limbs, this is the species of the modern man (Homo Sapiens Sapiens originated
from Africa and expanded throughout the world about a thousand of years ago.
In the Philippines, evidences of Homo Sapiens were manifested in the discovery of Tabon Man, believed
to be existed 20 thousand years ago and Callao Man, dated to have existed Existed 6 Thousand years
ago.
Homo Sapiens are believed to be the first species to alter their environment. Has bigger and complex
brains led them to gain more knowledge about their surroundings.
Lesson 2- Humanization and Politics
2|Student Learning Manual

The numerous technological advancement of modern humans reveal how much they have humanized
the world's existence.
Humanization is the long process of improving the humans everyday living through innovation,
discovery, enhancing routines and creating mechanisms with the intention of harmonizing and
harnessing the fullest portential of their fellow human beings.
The birth of language paved the way to the possibility of cooperation, which eventually led to the
formation of social organization. Through language, ideas and knowledge necessary for survival were
articulated and passed on to younger generations. As Anthropologist Lesley White (1940) once quipped.
All civilization have been generated and
perpetuated, only by the use of symbols. It is
the symbol which transforms an infant of
Homo Sapiens into a human beings.
Paleolithic Age
The term "Paleolithic" has been derived from
two Greek words Palaeo which means "Old"
and lithic which means "stone". Thus,
Paleolithic Age pertains to the old stone
period. It is believed to be the earliest stage of
human development, which took place about
2.5 Million years ago to 10 thousand years
ago. This stage is subdivided into Lower,
Middle and Upper Phases.
Neolithic Revolution
The role of culture in human adaptation was
evident in a phase of development called
Neolithic age, which succeeded the Paleolithic
Age around 10 thousand years ago. The Greek words neo, which means "new" and lithic which means
stone. In it's stictest sense, it is the cultural era where people employed polished stone tools as
replacement for rough stones.
In a broad sense, Neolithic Revolution is the background form which civilization appears. It refers to the
slow yet radical transformation of human behavior and organization, thus, the term "Revolution".
One significant change that came about this age is the invention of agriculture.
Copper Age
Many great civilization were found to have grown of this is the Catal Hüyük in Turkey, Sumerians
civilization grew an fertile plain between river of Tigris and Euphrates, known as the fertile crescent.
Bronze Age
Well known civilization is in Egypt.
Iron Age
Cultural Development led to the discovery of Iron in Europe, The Hittites refined Iron ore to create
weapons, pots and other essentials.
Greeks begun using shadow clocks, holding Olympian games and breeding Philosophy and science.
Glass vessels were used in Egypt and City States of Mesopotamia. Phoenician developed an alphabet,
which was propagated in Mesopotamia and other neighboring city-states, They also introduced the
purple dye, the first dye in history, to their trade partners. In the northwestern part of Mesopotamia,
the city of Rome was born.

Democratization
In 508 BCE Athens, Greece, a new government different from those in the previous periods came about
the democracy. In this system, the people (the Democrats) held the power in governing their land. The
citizen democrats of Athens were males, age 18 and above, sons of Athenian parents. Each democrats
had a voice in the ecclesia and assembly the highest forum of the nation which happened, they still
elected 10 leaders (one from each tribe) who would exercise full responsibility for the state's accounts.
Copyright © 2020 Headwaters College Academic Department. All rights reserved.


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Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Accessible Teachers Materials

STUDENT LEARNING MANUAL

TOPIC: Human Biological and Sociopolitical Evolution

Scope: 1.1. Hominization and Evolution

Lesson 2- Humanization and Politics

2|Student Learning Manual

the city of Rome was born.

Copyright © 2020 Headwaters College Academic Department. All rights reserved.

5|Student Learning Manual

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