SOC 1100 Chapter 4: Chapter 4.docx
Document Summary
Gerhard and jean lenski describe how societies have changed over the past 10. 000 years and point to the importance of technology in shaping any society. Karl marx probed into the roots of the social conflict that arises from the positions of owners and workers in the production of material goods. Max weber shows that the power of ideas shapes society, contrasted the traditional thinking of simple societies with the rational thought that dominates complex societies today. Emile durkheim shows us the different ways that traditional and modern societies hang together. Help us to understand the great differences among societies that have existed throughout human history. The societies with simplest technology have little control over nature, can only support a small number of people. Societies with complex technology support hundreds of millions of people in far more affluent ways of life. Inventing/adopting new technology sends change all throughout a society.
