Social groups and sociocultural evolution

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Socio-Cultural Evolution

• In the late 19th century, cultural evolution theories were greatly influenced by Charles Darwin's biological evolution theory

• Early anthropologists and sociologists began to explore cultural evolution

• Charles Darwin’s "The Origin of Species" introduced natural selection and biological evolution

• Natural selection explained that all species evolved from common ancestors, which inspired the exploration of social behaviors and cultural practices in societies

• Sociocultural evolutionism or cultural evolution describes the changes in cultures and societies over time

• Structural reorganization affects societal structures and cultural practices, leading to new forms different from their original state

• This reflects the dynamic nature of societal change, resulting in evolution from simple to complex societies

• Herbert Spencer developed a general evolutionary scheme that included human societies, suggesting cultures evolved from less to more complex

• People lived in undifferentiated hordes, developed social hierarchies, and accumulated differentiated knowledge

• Human societies evolved through the division of labor into complex civilizations

• Gerhard Lenski believed sociocultural evolution is the change that occurs as a society acquires new technology

• The more technology, the faster cultural change takes place

• Lenski defined five types of societies that change in an orderly manner when they adapt new technology

5 Types of Society

• Societies adapt new technology differently

Hunting and Gathering Society

• Simple tools were used to hunt animals and vegetation like bows, arrows, and stone knives
• Family was the primary institution
• Early humans were nomadic, with men hunting and women gathering

Horticultural and Pastoral Societies

• The invention of simple tools for raising crops led to people staying in one place to grow food
• Pastoral societies began domesticating and breeding animals for food with the population increasing, leading to increased food and the creation of arts and crafts

Agricultural Societies

• Agriculture was started using large-scale land
• Members tended crops with the help of animal-drawn plows, which led to cities and modern societal structures
• Increased population and surplus food resulted in a barter system

Industrial Societies

• Advanced energy sources were used instead of humans and animals to run machinery
• Inventions like household equipment, automobiles, and planes for transportation emerged during industrialization
• Cities increased, migration increased, and traditional family lives weakened as industrialization emerged

Post-Industrial Societies

• The last stage of society features an economy based on services and technology, not production
• Machinery replaced human labor, and computers replaced industrial society tools

Sociocultural Evolution

• Societies and cultures change over time, driven by new knowledge, technological advancement, and adaptation to environments

• This challenges existing beliefs and values, shaping new perspectives

• Changes can be observed in cases where people incorporate new understanding into their lives

• Respect for elders may no longer be practiced as societies become more liberated

• 'Material culture' refers to physical objects created by a society and technological advancement alters communication and information access

• Innovations like smartphones have made 'information access' far easier, changing communication patterns

• The printing press by Johannes Gutenberg democratized information access, contributing to the Enlightenment era

• Societies naturally adapt to changing social environments with practices, beliefs, and values based on surroundings

• This includes clothing styles, housing structures, and spiritual beliefs

• Sociocultural evolution is one of the shifts from hunter-gathering to post-industrial societies, demonstrated by language evolution

• In the Philippines, blending Tagalog and English, known as taglish, showcases adaptability where people incorporate initial language in their modern day to day

• Cultural change occurs when beliefs and behaviors are personally altered, evident in the shift from conservative to open ideas like gender diversity

Social Groups and Organizations

• Social groups are defined as two or more who identify and interact, sharing experiences, loyalties, and interests, seeing themselves as a "we"

• People are part of families, friends, colleagues, religious communities, or larger organizations that shape behavior and interaction

• Understanding "social group" is essential in sociology for explaining human relationships and collective identities

• Social groups are collections of individuals who regularly interact, share characteristics or goals, and have a sense of unity

• Social Organizations are structured relationships and interactions within a community or society, shaping how individuals and groups relate to others

• Institutions like education, government, and businesses maintain social order and facilitate cooperation

• Social Organizations function as structured systems with rules, roles, and clear structures, unlike social groups

• Social Organizations prioritize stability and order over personal relationships, focusing on structure and function in society

Key Features of Social Groups

• Members come together to achieve common objectives through shared interests or goals
• Continuous engagement is seen among members through regular interactions
• Feeling of belonging is shared as part of the group through a sense of belonging
• Established social structure defines how members relate and function within the group

Sociological Perspectives of Three Historians

Emile Durkheim

• Social Groups are vital in maintaining social order and cohesion, forming a collective consciousness with shared beliefs, values, and norms

Max Weber

• Social Groups are more than a collection of individuals and share a common purpose to engage in social action for specific goals

George Herbert Mead

• Social Groups are critical in the development of the self through social interaction, where individuals develop their sense of identity

Types of Social Groups

Primary Groups

• Small, intimate groups where members have close, personal relationships, characterized by strong emotional bonds and face-to-face interactions (e.g., families, close friends, small communities)

Secondary Groups

• These groups that are formed for a specific purpose, relationships being goal-oriented and less emotionally deep than primary groups (e.g., work groups, professional organizations, academic associations)

In-Groups-Outgroups

• Sense of belonging or "non-belonging" that individuals feel towards a group, critical in understanding social conflict, prejudice, and intergroup relations with primary and secondary groups while out-groups are observed in competition

Reference Groups

• Groups Individuals use as a standard for evaluating themselves, providing a benchmark for behavior and are often inspirational. E. for example, a student looking up to successful professionals to achieve the same success. Reference groups shape attitudes, values, and social behaviors

Importance of Groups

• Groups help spread culture by teaching members how to behave, think, and react in different situations
• traditions, values, and customs are learned from their group which makes the group a transmitter of culture
• Groups establish rules and standards that members must follow, guiding behavior and ensuring individuals act acceptably
• This is a way for the group to have social control
• Social Group is essential to ensure individuals develop and learn from their family
• Groups share people's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are shaped from interactions.
• Groups serve as a communication network where active discussion helps communication skills

Socialization

• Socialization refers to the lifelong social experience that helps people learn culture
• Socialization is the process through which individuals become members of Society acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors to function within Society

Processes of Socialization

• individuals learn their group's culture through experience, observation, and instruction during enculturalization
• A child growing up in the Philippines learns Tagalog or Cebuano as their first language by absorbing the grammar, vocabulary, and cultural associated by being surrounded
• In Western cultures, this entails being considered polite to use a fork and knife, learned through observation and in other cultures other family members prevail.

Acculturation

• Acculturation is the exchange of values and customs from one group to another by individuals and groups
• Sushi in the United States, blending elements of different cultures into music, mixing musical styles like Latin rhythms with American pop music, creates something new while acknowledging the origins

Assimilation

• Assimilation is the cultural absorption of a minority group into the main cultural body, eventually leading to the disappearance of its culture that the group must intergrate and comply too

Agents of Socialization

• An agent of socialization is a person or group of people who teach the values, beliefs, and behaviors that are expected in their Society

• Family is the first and most influential agent of socialization

• Family gives/designates their children the social positions of race, religion, ethnicity, social class, etc.

• School provides formal education enlarging with different background and culture

• Peer/Friend - a group where members have interests, positions, and ages with a friend allowing communication with no adult supervision

• Mass Media is means to deliver impersonal communication to the vast audience affecting individuals attitudes and behavior

• Others- officemates/colleagues, clubs, organizations, religious groups, advocacy groups, etc.

Examples of Socialization

• children learn the norms and behaviors of their gender, usually thought to come from family, peer groups, mass media

Different kinds of toys

• Different kinds of Clothing which is only suitable for specific Geneder.

• As Children get older; aware of certain expectiations which may cause questions of whetehr Feelings and preferences align

• Realizing theye are Transgender. Identity Align with Birth

• Hidden Curriculum: The hidden curriculum are rule and values that Students learn during school

• A School sending conforming messages is more important than the message

Morality

• Morality is a system of beliefs about right and wrong behavior. Religions teach their followers right and wrong
• An example is teachhing children that It is wrong to steal since it is wrong

Social Relationships

• All relationships involve interactions provifing opportunitiews for socialization

• Relationships between Students/Teachers and students Reinforce Idear to respect

• SUBCULTURE

• Political SOCIALIZATION

Socialization

• the norms and customs that hold society together
• social capital and resources

Basic Social Institutions

• society's fundamental needs

What Are the Five Major Types of Social Institutions?

• framework for organizations to regulate behavior

Each unique

• structure where family members

• faith-based terms

• education system is to family to society

• local goverance to citizens

• Manages resources

• Influence value beahviors traidtions

• Role In Philippine culture

• Filipino culture is for everyone's daily life

• the identity that is adapted from progress