Stages of Cultural Development
Social Scientists identify cultures as passing through four stages. These are the sometimes called the stages of cultural development.
When cultures develop a writing system, we usually refer to the culture as a civilization.
Some cultures, though very few, never progressed to later stages. There were, and still are, a few societies that are "hunter-gatherer" cultures, which passed away with the development of agriculture. People like Professor Jared Diamond argue, convincingly, that societies that remained hunting and gathering did so because of the geographic "hand that they were dealt," not that they did not possess the intelligence to develop agriculture. Some societies, developed agriculture, but did not develop a writing system. No American Indian tribes of the present day United States ever developed a writing system before contact with Europeans. In the video that we will watch, Guns, Germs, and Steel, Professor Jared Diamond will describe the cultural complexities that we need to understand about the development of writing systems.
Websites to View to complete Stages of Culture Organizer & Study Guide:
Use of Tools & Tool Making
Control of Fire
Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution)
Invention of Writing
- The development and use of tools
- The control and use of fire
- The development of Agriculture
- The development of a writing system
When cultures develop a writing system, we usually refer to the culture as a civilization.
Some cultures, though very few, never progressed to later stages. There were, and still are, a few societies that are "hunter-gatherer" cultures, which passed away with the development of agriculture. People like Professor Jared Diamond argue, convincingly, that societies that remained hunting and gathering did so because of the geographic "hand that they were dealt," not that they did not possess the intelligence to develop agriculture. Some societies, developed agriculture, but did not develop a writing system. No American Indian tribes of the present day United States ever developed a writing system before contact with Europeans. In the video that we will watch, Guns, Germs, and Steel, Professor Jared Diamond will describe the cultural complexities that we need to understand about the development of writing systems.
Websites to View to complete Stages of Culture Organizer & Study Guide:
Use of Tools & Tool Making
Control of Fire
Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution)
Invention of Writing