Informal authority existed first in early human societies like hunter-gatherer bands and agricultural villages due to learning from family and elders. Formal authority developed later as societies became more complex with larger, sedentary, specialized populations in cities. The challenges of decision-making, dispute resolution, and resource distribution for larger populations led civilized societies to formalize authority structures in order to function effectively.

1. Do now Which came first, formal or informal authority? Why?

2. Why does authority formalize? Unit 2, Problem 3

3. All societies rely on informal authority Humans are social and learn from family, friends, neighbors and elders

4. What about formal authority? Let’s look at a few different social systems

5. Social System 1: Hunter/Gatherer Band 250,000 B.C.E.-Present 30-60 people Nomadic Rely on environment for food Unspecialized labor

6. Do hunter/gatherer societies formalize authorities? No!

7. Social System 2: Agricultural Village 8,000 B.C.E.-Present 25-150 people Sedentary Produce food Unspecialized labor

8. Do agricultural village societies formalize authorities? No!

9. Social System 3: City 4,000 B.C.E.-Present Population greater than 150 Sedentary Produce food Specialized labor

10. Do city-based societies formalize authorities? Yes!

11. What makes the difference?

12. Population!

13. Getting everyone together to discuss decision-making is challenging

14. Solving disputes between people who don’t know each other is challenging

15. Getting human and material resources to those who need them is challenging

16. Once a society reaches this level of complexity, it is considered civilized

17. A civilized society is: Sedentary (its population doesn’t move around) Specialized (its population doesn’t all do the same thing) Stratified (its population is split into social classes; some have more than others) Literate (the society has developed a written language)

18. Civilized societies are unfailingly really good at just 1 thing:

19. Making way more people

20. A growing population presents a society with two choices: Split into different uncivilized settlements Formalize authority and become civilized

21. Why not just split? Things would be so much less complicated!

22. When near sedentary societies, hunter/gatherer societies become raider/trader societies

23. A large population with specialized jobs can lead a society from this…

24. … to this

25. and this

26. and this

27. and this

28. Why does authority formalize? Solve the problem, using as much evidence from class as possible.