SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Social Stratification, Consumerism, Trans-Cultural Diffusion
4 Jul 2018
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Toward a Global Culture
Some sociologists today predict that the world is moving closer to a global culture, void of
cultural diversity. A fundamental means by which cultures come to resemble each other is via the
phenomenon of cultural diffusion, or the spreading of standards across cultures. Cultures have
always influenced each other through travel, trade, and even conquest. As populations today
travel and settle around the globe, however, the rate of cultural diffusion is increasing
dramatically. Examples of social forces that are creating a global culture include electronic
communications (telephones, e‐mail, fax machines), the mass media (television, radio, film), the
news media, the Internet, international businesses and banks, and the United Nations—to name
only a few. Even phrases like “global village” seem to imply that the world is growing “smaller”
every day.
Still, while many aspects of culture have been globalized, local societies and cultures remain
stable and, in many instances, are being affirmed with enthusiasm. Although people may relocate
on the other side of the planet, they tend to remain faithful to their culture of origin.
Types of Societies
Although humans have established many types of societies throughout history, sociologists and
anthropologists (experts who study early and tribal cultures) usually refer to six basic types of
societies, each defined by its level of technology.
hunting and gathering societies
The members of hunting and gathering societies primarily survive by hunting animals,
fishing, and gathering plants. The vast majority of these societies existed in the past,
with only a few (perhaps a million people total) living today on the verge of extinction.
To survive, early human societies completely depended upon their immediate
environment. When the animals left the area, the plants died, or the rivers dried up, the
society had to relocate to an area where resources were plentiful. Consequently,
hunting and gathering societies, which were typically small, were quite mobile. In some
cases, where resources in a locale were extraordinarily plentiful, small villages might
form. But most hunting and gathering societies were nomadic, moving constantly in
search of food and water.
Labor in hunting and gathering societies was divided equally among members. Because
of the mobile nature of the society, these societies stored little in the form of surplus
goods. Therefore, anyone who could hunt, fish, or gather fruits and vegetables did so.
These societies probably also had at least some division of labor based on gender.
Males probably traveled long distances to hunt and capture larger animals. Females
hunted smaller animals, gathered plants, made clothing, protected and raised children,
and helped the males to protect the community from rival groups.
Hunting and gathering societies were also tribal. Members shared an ancestral heritage
and a common set of traditions and rituals. They also sacrificed their individuality for the
sake of the larger tribal culture.
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