The Iroquois Confederacy is often cited as a more egalitarian society, particularly in its treatment of women and governance structure. Women held significant power, including the selection of chiefs and authority over land. Their democratic principles emphasized consensus and shared decision-making, contrasting sharply with more hierarchical societies. This system promoted a degree of social equality and collective responsibility among its members.
In an egalitarian society, there is a belief in equal rights, opportunities, and treatment for all individuals, regardless of social status. In contrast, a hierarchical society has a clear ranking of individuals based on factors such as wealth, power, or social class, leading to unequal distribution of resources and influence.
hierarchical
The Agriculture Society
Egalitarian values promote equality and fairness among all individuals, regardless of their background or characteristics. This can be translated into practices such as advocating for equal rights, opportunities, and treatment for everyone in society, and opposing discrimination and privilege based on factors like race, gender, or social status. Ultimately, embracing egalitarian values means striving for a more just and inclusive society where everyone has the chance to thrive.
Because you're a noob
The word "egalitarian" is related to the word "equality". A highly egalitarian society is one in which people are regarded as being fundamentally equal and having equal rights to representation, education, employment, etc. The term "egalitarian society" implies that this state of affairs arises from the attitudes of the people and is not imposed externally upon them by statute. For example, despite the existence of federal laws making blacks and whites legally equal, the American South in, say, 1880 was NOT an egalitarian society.
American pursuit of republican ideals after the Revolution transformed the nation into a more egalitarian society by rejecting the aristocracy. People had rights that only nobles could enjoy before the Revolution.
This depends on your definition of 'liberal'. In U.S. politics, a liberal usually refers to a left-wing position, relative to the current political climate. Since left-wing politics, in the modern U.S., have much to do with welfare and social capitalism, it usually does entail making a more egalitarian society, at least in terms of economic distribution. In more conventional usage, 'liberal' means 'classical liberal' or someone who believes in free markets, restriction of government intervention, and development of the individual. In this sense, classical liberals would support an a more 'egalitarian society' only in the sense that they support equality of opportunity or possibility, not equality of distribution or wealth.
Saint Simon was born into wealth but worked as a social idealist to make society more egalitarian.
Davis and Moore argue that an egalitarian society is unlikely because some form of social stratification is necessary to ensure that society's most important jobs are filled by qualified individuals. They believe that this stratification is necessary for the efficient functioning of society.
A balanced society is often referred to as an egalitarian society, where there is equal opportunity, rights, and treatment for all members regardless of differences such as gender, race, or social status.
Victorian society was characterized by strict social norms, gender roles, and hierarchies, while modern society is generally more egalitarian, inclusive, and open-minded. Victorian society placed a high value on modesty, formality, and propriety, whereas modern society tends to be more relaxed, individualistic, and diverse in terms of values and behaviors.