AGRARIAN SOCIETIES

NIGHT CLASS NOTE: THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF POSTPONING THE SCHEDULED TEST II FROM MARCH 11 TO MARCH 25. CHECK WITH INSTRUCTOR IN CLASS TONIGHT OR BY PHONE.

AGRARIAN SOCIETIES

chapter 7

The Change to Agriculture

Horticulture was a limited technology

soil fertility diminished
weeds would take over
people forced to move periodically
limited productivity + frequent moves = limited development

New subsistence technology

Advanced horticulturalists saw "rapid" social change
The most important was the PLOW
With oxen a much larger area could be plowed

Principle Technological Characteristics

Large-scale intensive agriculture using plow and traction animals.
Fields are cleared of vegetation.
Fields are cultivated permanently.
Extensive fertilization to maintain soil fertility.
Requires great labor inputs, but can generate large economic surpluses.

Why Change to Agriculture?

1. Pressure from a growing population
2. Accumulating cultural information
3. Possibly pressure from religion/politics

Agrarian Societies

With the plow begins "civilization"
Exact origins are unclear, but important by 3000 B.C.
The "ancient world" is agrarian societies
Many important changes occur
A central consequence is the expansion of surpluses

SIMPLE AGRARIAN SOCIETIES

A. REVOLUTIONARY IMPLICATIONS OF THE PLOW

1. Addresses two major problems of the farmer

a. controlling weeds

b. maintaining fertility of soil

2. Allowed harnessing of animal energy

3. freed a considerable part of the population to follow other pursuits

a. what are some of these?

b. technological innovation accompanied by IDEOLOGICAL and INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE

c. as the size of economic surplus increased, the POWER of those who controlled it also increased

- material things

- people

- ideologies and institutions

- legitimized activities

4. "Dawn of Civilization"

a. invention of writing

b. rise of urban communities

c. empire building on larger scale

d. growth in scale of society

B. POPULATION

1. Egypt largest of simple agrarian

theocracy - pop. = 15 million

3 X size of largest hort. society

2. largest ADVANCED agrarian soc.

10 X size of Egypt

China pop = 400 million (4 mil. miles)

NOTE

With increased productivity comes larger surpluses
With larger surplus comes concentration of social power
With more power societies get larger empires
The problems of managing increase

C. THE POLITY

1. governmental structures not based on kinship ties alone

2. professional armies/military castes /King’s Army

3. governmental bureaucracy

written records & formal codes of law

D. THE ECONOMY

1. media of exchange

a. in early simple agrarian socs. grains were used

b. later metals adopted

2. implications of a monetary system

a. demands of goods and services increased

b. opportunities for merchants increased

c. emphasis on individualism, rationalism, and competitiveness

E. STRATIFICATION : INCREASING INEQUALITY

1. small governing class / large mass of people with no political power

2. urban minority /rural majority

3. small literate minority/ illiterate masses

F. SLOWDOWN IN THE RATE OF TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

expertise and incentive divorced

ADVANCED AGRARIAN SOCIETIES

Examples of Advanced Agrarian Societies

Egyptian Empire, Roman Empire, pre-communist China, pre-industrial Japan, Medieval England, and Mesopotamia.
These societies covered large areas of land.

A. TECHNOLOGY

1. smelting iron - although tech. known before, now used for ordinary tools

2. other important innovations

B. POPULATION

1. fertility rates high

a. average 40+ births per 1000 pop.

b. reasons

c. economic asset

d. "old age insurance"

e. religious incentives

2. mortality rates high

a. reasons

- wars, disease, poor living conditions in urban areas, accidents, high infant mortality rates, famine

b. life expectancy relatively short (see table 7.1 in text)

C. THE ECONOMY: INCREASING DIFFERENTIATION

1. regional and local specialization

2. occupational specialization in cities

3. command economies

4. most wealth from agriculture

5. peasant life versus city life

What about Mother Goose?

D. THE POLITY

1. gov’t basic integrating force

2. monarchy usually

3. internal and external conflict

4. proprietary theory of state

E. UNIVERSAL FAITHS

1. important developments

a. three new universal religions

b. transcended societal boundaries

c. growing separation of religious & political institutions, but symbiotic relationship

2. magic and fatalism

F. STRATIFICATION

1. small ruling elite

2. military and merchant class

3. large mass of people with no power

4. development of an underclass

5. ascribed versus achieved statuses