Rock the A Level Sociology OCR Exam 2026 – Get Psyched to Ace It!

Pastoral and agrarian societies are defined by their reliance on animal herding and settled agriculture, which marks a significant transition from hunting and gathering lifestyles. These societies utilize domesticated animals for meat, milk, and labor, along with cultivating crops in settled locations, leading to more complex social structures and increased food production.

This classification highlights the evolution of human societies and reflects how these economies shaped social organization, labor division, and community dynamics. Pastoral communities often move with their herds to find new pastures, while agrarian societies develop permanent settlements around their farming activities, fostering advancements in technology, trade, and social hierarchy.

In contrast, hunting-and-gathering societies do not engage in agriculture and rely entirely on the wild resources available in their environment. Industrial societies depend heavily on mechanization and mass production, moving away from traditional agricultural methods. Non-industrial civilizations may include various economic practices, but they do not specifically denote the combination of animal herding and settled agriculture that defines pastoral and agrarian societies.