Page 19 - DSOC403_SOCIOLOGY_OF_CHANGE_AND_DEVELOPMENT_ENGLISH

Unit-2: Evolution, Progress and Transformation

2.7 Evolution of Family Life Notes

Backofen and Morgan have presented the evolutionary order of family. In view point of Backofen,
in the initial stage, family life was uncertain and relaxed, at that time there were no rules for sexual
relationship; hence, paternity was uncertain. Slowly, change occurred in this stage and polygamy-
married families came into existence. With the increase in means for lifestyle, the dawn of polygamy-
married families occurred. Revolutionary changes occurred in the thought process related to marriage
and family life along with the development of civilisation and culture, philosophy of equal rights for
women and men developed, and monogamous families were established. Lewis Morgan has explained
the following five stages of evolution:

1. Consanguine Family—In the initial stage, there were no rules for establishing sexual relationships,
even mutual sexual relations occurred between sisters and brothers. Therefore, such families were
called consanguine family.
2. Punaluan Family—In this type of family, brothers of one family were married to sisters of another
family. In this, every man was husband of all the women and every woman was wife of all the men.
3. Syndasmian Family—In this type of family, one man was married to one woman, but this man
could have sexual relations with all the women in the family.
4. Patriarchal Family—In this stage, man used to predominate in a family. He was allowed to keep
more than one women. In comparison to woman, he had more families.
5. Monogamous Family—This is the last stage in evolutionary order, which is present in most societies
in present times. In this, one man marries only one woman at a time. This is based on equality of
man and woman.

2.8 Evolution of Art

H. C. Heddon has recognised evolution of art from the natural, symbolical and geometrical stages.
In the beginning, man used to portray landscape slavishly, then he portrayed objects with the help of
symbols and later he exhibited art by means of lines.

2.9 Evolution of Religion

Tylor believed that evolution of religion occurred from polytheism to monotheism. In the beginning,
man assumed that every natural power had the presence of a deity, which resulted in polytheism and
many gods and goddesses were worshipped and adored. Today the assumption that God is one is
prevalent; his names and forms are different.

2.10 Reality (Criticism) of Social Evolution

Evolutionists have presented social evolution in a successive form, but many scholars have criticized it.
1. It is not true that evolution of all societies has happened by one process as said by the evolutionists.
It is not correct to apply one norm on all societies. Every society is a gift of distinct circumstances.

Hence, it is not justified to believe that evolution of society has happened by one process.
2. Evolutionists have agreed for equal stages for evolution of every society, which is not correct. It is
also possible that in any society, any stage can occur first and some after another stage or any two

stages can occur at the same time.
3. In the view point of Golden Weiser, evolutionists have forgotten the importance of expansion.

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 13

01/08/13 8:00 PM
Parivartan and Vikas ka Samaj Shastra book 13 01/08/13 8:00 PM
Parivartan and Vikas ka Samaj Shastra book 13