Final answer:
Economic developments affect social structure as observed in the transition from plantation-based economies to more diversified economies. This leads to a challenge of the traditional power structures, investment in education, and the rise of a broader social spectrum.
Step-by-step explanation:
An example of how economic developments affected the social structure over time can be seen in countries like Brazil and Cuba. These countries initially had economies focused on cash crops such as coffee and sugarcane, cultivated by unskilled laborers on large plantations. The plantation system created a social structure where a small elite controlled both economic and political power, with little incentive to invest in the broader education or economic development that would benefit the wider society.
However, when the power of the plantation owners was challenged, the resulting economic growth led to social improvements. An improved economy generally promotes a more advanced educational system and allows people more leisure time, leading to a more educated and diverse society. This transformation can be observed in the transition from an agrarian to an industrial and eventually to an information-based economy, as in the United States. Each shift in the economic foundation of a society inevitably prompts changes in its social institutions and structure.