Final answer:
The Zhou society's structure differed from the Shang's through its feudal system, reduced scale of human sacrifices, a higher emphasis on 'heaven', and a shifted ideological focus that created a shared cultural identity and eventually led to a decentralization of power.
Step-by-step explanation:
The structure of Zhou society was markedly different from that of the Shang. Predominantly, the Zhou introduced a feudal system that allowed for greater expansion and absorption of various cultures. This system was highly aristocratic, with most people born into their social status, and political power concentrated in the hands of a small elite. Moreover, the Zhou made significant changes to religious practices by reducing the scale of human sacrifices and replacing divination with oracle bones with their own forms of ritual.
The focus on a higher power known as 'heaven' above the deity Di and the positioning of themselves as mediators legitimized their rule. These shifts in ideology, alongside military expansion and relations with vassal states, not only altered the political landscape but also fostered a shared cultural identity fundamental to Chinese civilization.
The decentralized nature of the Zhou government eventually resulted in a diffusion of power, with regional lords gaining autonomy and weakening the central authority, leading to the division of the dynasty into several periods and setting the stage for the Warring States period.