Vertical differentiation of the early non-Western societies: A factor of resource availability

Abstract

The article aims at explaining the influence of the resource factor on differentiation in the early non-Western societies. The author uses extensive historical and anthropological data and analytical tools of classical and contemporary sociological theories to prove that scientific works consider the sufficiency of life support resources as a significant factor in sociogenesis. However, the direction and mechanism of this factor are interpreted differently due to the qualitative features of societies under study. An increase in the number of life support resources could play a stimulating role in the complication of those social structures that had relatively developed production technologies, which allowed to institutionalize private ownership of the means of production, i.e., the growth of wealth led to an increased exchange and, accordingly, to social inequality and, ultimately, to the state. Social differentiation developed differently in societies that were forced to significantly increase their economic efficiency but did not have developed production technologies or could not borrow them from their neighbors, i.e., the population growth, not supported by an increase in labor productivity, led to a shortage of life support resources. Thus, people were forced to look for more effective forms of labor organization, such as the involvement of large masses of community members in solving general economic problems, which was best ensured by a hierarchical socialeconomic system with elements of coercion and planning. In some areas, population mastered irrigation farming technologies which further accelerated social differentiation. Within this new social structure, clan relations were preserved for some time but only as a means of legitimizing the new order. As vertically integrated relations strengthened, they ceased to need justification due to achieving legitimation and dominance.

Keywords

• vertical integration
• productive economy
• early non-western societies
• social hierarchy
• social structure
• life support resources