Gerhard Lenski

Gerhard Emmanuel Lenski (* August 13, 1924 ) is an American sociologist who was known for his contributions to the sociology of religion, social inequality and its ecological- evolutionary social theory (which is related to the cultural evolution ). He is professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In his works, Power and Privilege (1966) and Human Societies: An Introduction to Macrosociology (1974 ) he continues the work of Leslie White and Lewis Henry Morgan. He looks at the technological progress as the basic factor in the evolution of societies and cultures. Unlike White, who defined technology as the ability to generate and use energy, Lenski focuses on information, their quantity and use. The more information and knowledge (especially regarding the shaping of natural environment ) a given society has, the more advanced it is. He distinguishes four stages of human development according to their progress in the history of communication:

Advances in communication technology lead to progress in the economic and political system, distribution of goods, social inequality and other spheres of life. Lenski differentiates societies even after their level of technology, communication and economy: