Preindustrial Societies

Preindustrial Societies

​G12 - Keithg

The culture and social structure of a society are greatly affected by the way the society provides for basic needs.

A society is any group of people who live in defined territorial borders and share a common culture.

All societies share patterned and predictable social relationships that are passed from generation to generation.

​Types of Society •

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is any group of people who live in defined territorial borders and share a common culture.

The different ways in which societies meet their members’ basic needs, such as the needs for food and shelter, form the basis of a system that anthropologists often use to classify societies.

Preindustrial societies can be independent and selfsufficient.

​Types of Society •

Types of Preindustrial Society

• Hunting and Gathering Societies

• Horticultural Societies

• Pastoral Societies

• Agricultural Societies

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is not a preindustrial society?

• horticultural

• hunter gatherer

• artisanal

• agricultural

Hunter Gatherer

• A hunting and gathering society survives by hunting animals and gathering edible fruits and vegetables.

• Hunting and gathering societies are usually nomadic, moving as the food supply changes with the seasons.

• They tend to be small and most members are related by blood or marriage.

• These societies have little or no idea of private property or ownership; as a result, they have no social classes.

• There is no political authority, which requires other methods for conflict resolution.

Multiple Choice

Which is a characteristic of hunter gatherer societies?

• Isolation from other societies and reliance on bartering for sustenance.
• Urban lifestyle and reliance on technology for sustenance.
• Nomadic lifestyle and reliance on hunting and gathering for sustenance.
• Sedentary lifestyle and reliance on agriculture for sustenance.

Horticultural

• A horticultural society solves the subsistence problem primarily through using simple tools to grow plants.

• The shift from hunting and gathering to horticulture, or gardening, led to more permanent settlements.

• The family is even more basic to horticultural societies than to hunting and gathering societies.

• In horticultural societies, primary emphasis is on the survival of family members and all family members contribute to food production.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary Emphasis in a horticulturalist society?

• The primary emphasis in a horticulturalist society is on the cultivation and management of plants for food, medicinal, and ornamental purposes.
• The primary emphasis in a horticulturalist society is on raising livestock for food production.
• The primary emphasis in a horticulturalist society is on manufacturing and industrial development.
• The primary emphasis in a horticulturalist society is on space exploration and colonization.

Pastoral

• In pastoral societies, food is obtained primarily by raising and caring for domesticated, or tamed, animals such as cattle, camels, goats, and sheep.

• Although migration is a key feature of pastoral societies, some have long-term villages and simply move their herd animals to different pastures within a given area at different times of year.

• These societies tend to be male dominated.

• Like horticultural societies, pastoral societies produce surpluses and have social inequality as a result.

Multiple Choice

What do pastoral societies rely on for sustenance?

• Pastoral societies rely on agriculture for sustenance.
• Pastoral societies rely on mining for sustenance.
• Pastoral societies rely on livestock for sustenance.
• Pastoral societies rely on fishing for sustenance.
• Pastoral societies rely on hunting for sustenance.

Agricultural

• An agricultural society, like a horticultural society, subsists by growing food.

• Since agricultural societies use plows and domesticated animals, which boost crop production, more people are free to engage in noneconomic activities such as education and the arts.

• With a surplus of food production, cities can be built and occupations appear that are not directly tied to food production.

• New political, economic, and religious institutions also emerge in agricultural societies.

Multiple Choice

How are agricultural and horticultural societies different?

• Agricultural societies focus on fishing and hunting, while horticultural societies focus on mining and metalwork.
• Agricultural societies rely on bartering for goods, while horticultural societies use a currency system.
• Agricultural societies have a nomadic lifestyle, while horticultural societies have a sedentary lifestyle.
• Agricultural societies primarily focus on large-scale farming and domestication of animals, while horticultural societies rely more on small-scale gardening and plant cultivation.
• Agricultural societies have a hierarchical social structure, while horticultural societies have an egalitarian social structure.