Whats the Diffrence between Multilinear and Unilinear evolution?

Question

My midterm exam for the History of Evolutionary Thought is in 5 hours and I am confused on the diffrence between the two.It's funny,I understand the authors points but not this!Please help!

Answer 1

sociocultural evolution

In the unilineal evolution model at left, all cultures progress through set stages, while in the multilineal evolution model at right, distinctive culture histories are emphasized.Sociocultural evolution(ism) is an umbrella term for theories of cultural evolution and social evolution, describing how cultures and societies have developed over time. Although such theories typically provide models for understanding the relationship between technologies, social structure, the values of a society, and how and why they change with time, they vary as to the extent to which they describe specific mechanisms of variation and social change.

Most 19th century and some 20th century approaches aimed to provide models for the evolution of humankind as a whole, arguing that different societies are at different stages of social development. At present this thread is continued to some extent within the World System approach (especially within its version produced by Andre Gunder Frank). Many of the more recent 20th-century approaches focus on changes specific to individual societies and reject the idea of directional change, or social progress. Most archaeologists and cultural anthropologists work within the framework of modern theories of sociocultural evolution. Modern approaches to sociocultural evolution include neoevolutionism, sociobiology, theory of modernization and theory of postindustrial society.

Introduction

Virtually all anthropologists and sociologists assume that human beings have natural social tendencies and that particular human social behaviors have non-genetic causes and dynamics (i.e. they are learned in a social environment and through social interaction). Societies exist in complex social (i.e. interacting with other societies) and biotic (i.e. interacting with natural resources and constraints) environments, and adapt themselves to these environments. It is thus inevitable that all societies change.

Specific theories of social or cultural evolution are usually meant to explain differences between coeval societies, by positing that different societies are at different stages of development. Although such theories typically provide models for understanding the relationship between technologies, social structure, or values of a society, they vary as to the extent to which they describe specific mechanisms of variation and change.

Early sociocultural evolution theories—the theories of August Comte, Herbert Spencer and Lewis Henry Morgan—developed simultaneously but independently of Charles Darwin's works and were popular from the late 19th century to the end of World War I. These 19th-century unilineal evolution theories claimed that societies start out in a primitive state and gradually become more civilised over time, and equated the culture and technology of Western civilisation with progress. Some forms of early sociocultural evolution theories (mainly unilineal ones) have led to much criticised theories like social Darwinism, and scientific racism, used in the past to justify existing policies of colonialism and slavery, and to justify new policies such as eugenics.

Most 19th-century and some 20th-century approaches aimed to provide models for the evolution of humankind as a single entity. Most 20th-century approaches, such as multilineal evolution, however, focus on changes specific to individual societies. Moreover, they reject directional change (i.e. orthogenetic, teleological or progressive change). Most archaeologists work within the framework of multilineal evolution. Other contemporary approaches to social change include neoevolutionism, sociobiology, theory of modernisation and theory of postindustrial society.

Classical social evolutionism

Answer 2

Does not matter, all distances are traveled along the same course, or different courses, but returns to the same points. That my greatest logic in mind. I have also noticed that some humans "think" they are wiser than others. We Romans thought that once and fell a great fall.

Answer 3

Both terms are incoherent to  a biologist. Evolution is never linear. You must be talking about some social science bastardization of Darwin's theory. The " great chain of being " is that which Darwin overthrew.

Answer 4

Basic difference is simply that for unilinear evolutionists the evolutionary path must be the same for every society/culture and thus you are either in the front of the evolutionary race or you are somewhere in between or in the back. Multilinear evolution tried to solve the inevitably "superior culture" conclusion of such an idea and defined several possible paths (lines) of evolution. Thus you might seem "primitive" but you might actually be in a very high level of evolution in your own kind of economy. Not all societies/cultures must stroll the same path towards "perfection" which, as we know, was always white.