Stephen K. Sanderson

Sanderson’s “evolutionary materialism” is intended as an extension of Harris’s theory of cultural materialism. Cultural materialism (CM) Sanderson claims, is well suited to explaining sociocultural conditions and changes in pre-modern societies such as the domestication of plants and animals, the development of chiefdoms and the state, social inequality and the rise of stratification. But CM does not do well when dealing with advanced agrarian societies, the transition to modernity, or with modern capitalist-industrial societies themselves. Starting from a foundation of cultural materialism, Sanderson’s intent is to develop a theory that is more capable of dealing with the origin, maintenance, and evolution of the entire range of human societies—from hunting and gathering through horticultural, agrarian and modern industrial societies.

Readings: Chapter 13: "Stephen K. Sanderson's Evolutionary Materialism" in Macrosociology: The Study of Sociocultural Systems.

Glossary:
Look these words up in your chapter reading or in the Glossary of Social Science; study them and be ready for fill-in-the-blanks on the next exam:

ecosystem	adaptation	agrarian societies	class systems
deduction	induction	race	division of labor
paradigm	cumulative change	power	constitutional government
innovation	extinction	fundamental innovations	cultural diffusion
cultural lag	cultural transmission	demography	evolution
hunting & gathering societies	legitimacy	self consciousness	sex stratification
social evolution	stratification	technology	horticultural societies

Essays:

On your next exam you will be asked to demonstrate that you have read and mastered the course material. You should take the time now to answer the following essay questions to create your study guide for that exam. Address the questions fully and completely in your own words and voice. Prepare your answers now.

Compare and contrasts Sanderson's theory with Harris's Cultural Materialism.
According to Sanderson, why did capitalism become dominant in the 16th century?

Short Answers:

The following short answer questions are from your readings and may well appear on your next exam. Each can be answered with a short paragraph of three or four sentences; please use your own words and voice. You are encouraged to answer these questions now to create your study guide for that exam.

According to Sanderson, what is the driving engine behind sociocultural evolution?

Discuss the expansion and deepening of the capitalist world system.

What are the three forms of globalization? How are they related?

Links:

Sanderson's Evolutionary Materialism

Bibliography:

Sanderson, S. (2007, June 20). About Sanderson. (F. Elwell, Interviewer)

Sanderson, S. K. (2007). Evolutionism and Its Critics: Deconstructing and Reconstructing an Evolutionary Interpretation of Human Society. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers.

Sanderson, S. K. (1990). Social Evolutionism: A Critical History. Oxford: Basil Blackwell.

Sanderson, S. K. (1999). Social Transformations: A General Theory of Historical Development. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.

Sanderson, S. K., & Alderson, A. S. (2005). World Societies: The Evolution of Human Social Life. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

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