specialization

Examples of specialization in the following topics:

• The Neolithic Revolution

  • The Neolithic Revolution and invention of agriculture allowed humans to settle in groups, specialize, and develop civilizations.
  • Starting with domestication by protection of wild plants, it led to specialization of location and then full-fledged domestication.
  • The traditional view is that the shift to agricultural food production supported a denser population, which in turn supported larger sedentary communities, the accumulation of goods and tools, and specialization in diverse forms of new labor.
  • From the governments we live under, to the specialized work laborers do, to the trade of goods and food, humans were irrevocably changed by the switch to sedentary agriculture and domestication of animals.

• The Literati

  • Scholar-officials, also known as the Chinese literati, were civil servants appointed by the emperor of China to perform day-to-day governance and came into special prominence during the Tang dynasty.
  • These scholar-officials, also known as the literati, performed the day-to-day governance of the state from the Han dynasty to the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912, China's last imperial dynasty, but came to special prominence during the Tang period.

• Etruscan Religion

  • A special magistrate was designated to look after sacred items, but every man had religious responsibilities.
  • In this way, the Etruscans placed special emphasis upon intimate contact with divinity, consulting with the gods and seeking signs from them before embarking upon a task.

• The Printing Revolution

  • To create these lead types, Gutenberg used what is considered one of his most ingenious inventions, a special matrix enabling the quick and precise molding of new type blocks from a uniform template.
  • His type case is estimated to have contained around 290 separate letter boxes, most of which were required for special characters, ligatures, punctuation marks, etc.

• Early Roman Society

  • The adult male head of a household had special legal powers and privileges that gave him jurisdiction over all the members of his family, including his wife, adult sons, adult married daughters, and slaves, but there were multiple, overlapping hierarchies at play within society at large.
  • Free-born foreign subjects during this period were known as peregrini and special laws existed to govern their conduct and disputes, though they were not considered Roman citizens during the Roman kingdom period.

• The Evolution of Humans

  • While generalist species spread out when environmental conditions change, specialist species become more specialized and have a greater rate of evolution.
  • Humans have reduced sexual dimorphism, or differences between males and females, and hidden estrus, which means the female is fertile year-round and shows no special sign of fertility.

• Athenian Society

  • In order to discourage corruption and patronage, most public offices that did not require specialized expertise were appointed by lot rather than by election.

• Invention of Paper

  • During the Song dynasty (960 - 1279 CE), the world's first known paper money was produced, and often presented in special paper envelopes.

• The Chimu

  • At this point, there was a shift to a more specialized system that focused on importing and redistributing resources from satellite communities.
  • Artisans were forbidden to change their profession, and were grouped in the ciudadela according to their area of specialization.

• The Economy Under the Ming Dynasty

  • During the Ming, specialized areas also popped up planting large numbers of cash crops that could be sold at markets.
  • Ming agriculture was much changed from the earlier areas; firstly, gigantic areas, devoting and specializing in cash crops, sprung up to demand from the new market economy.