There are two types of societies; Monolithic and Pluralistic. There are many differences between these two types of societies. A good example of a monolithic society is Sparta and a good example of a pluralistic society is Athens. The city states of these two societies were big rivals for the leadership of ancient Greece. Because of the many differences in their lifestyles the rivalry between these two societies is stronger.
Sparta is a very monolithic society. A monolithic society is a closed society. A closed society is not open to new ideas, trade, or cultural diffusion. They are very antisocial and don't want to learn about other societies, nor do they want other societies to learn about them and steal their ideas. In Sparta, the leader Lycurgus didn't allow his people to go to other places so they don't pick up the habits of other societies. He doesn't want his people to imitate the lives of other people w/out military training and that live under different governments.
17:54, 6 January 2006 Larsinio 162x216 (11074 byte...
Territory of ancient Sparta. Data from Kaplan (dir...
Parthenon from westSpartans drive away strangers that don't really have an important reason for being there because they believe "for along with strange people, strange ideas must come in." Unlike Sparta, Athens is a pluralistic society. They open their city to the rest of the world and welcome foreigners and try to set an example for them. They wouldn't prevent anyone from learning from them.
The word Spartan means "Highly self-disciplined." The Spartan state was like a military camp. Spartans were very organized and controlled. Sparta's population was small, but extremely powerful. Babies that were not strong enough were left to die. Once Spartan boys turned 7they are taken from their homes and sent to military training. When they turn 20 they become soldiers and are...