Sociocultural Evolution FAQ

It is a mix of social evolution and cultural evolution. Hence this topic studies how sociocultural institutions evolve with time, thus creating different evolution theories. In fact, it answers many questions about both of them.

The stages of cultural evolution are in line with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that answer 8 questions about human needs:
1. physiological needs
2. safety needs  
3. love and belonging needs
4. esteem needs
5. cognitive needs
6. aesthetic needs
7. self actualization needs
8. transcendence needs

Culture affects evolution by creating related social institutions. Thus it answers key questions about the structure of society.

Sociocultural changes occurred when Homo sapiens switched from hunters-gatherers to farmers. Another sociocultural change took place when industrial revolution changed a huge chunk of farmers to industrialists. Furthermore, we are in the midst of the third major sociocultural change with AI trying to steer the world. Therefore we urgently need to answer the question of its future direction as the next Homo sapiens.

Society never stays static. In fact, it always remains in flux. Also, if it doesn’t evolve, it will start decaying.

They certainly do. In fact, human history is a witness to it, answering all related questions.

Many scholars have been involved in developing sociocultural theory through nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. They also tried to answer all relevant questions. But evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins affected it the most with his book The Selfish Gene in 1976.

We use it for steering human culture and society in the right direction today.