Final answer:
The correct option: a. hunting and gathering
Hunting and gathering societies have the least social stratification due to their nomadic lifestyle and egalitarian resource sharing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of productive technology associated with the least amount of social stratification is hunting and gathering, as seen in a. hunting and gathering societies. These societies primarily rely on the direct extraction of resources from the environment, involving activities such as hunting wild animals and foraging for uncultivated plants. The nature of this subsistence strategy contributes to a nomadic lifestyle and fosters an egalitarian social structure.
In hunting and gathering societies, the level of dependency on the environment and the unpredictability of resource availability create a necessity for cooperation and resource sharing within the group. Since individuals are reliant on collective efforts for survival and there is limited opportunity for the accumulation of wealth or surplus, social stratification tends to be minimal. Decision-making is often communal, and power is distributed relatively equally among the members.
This stands in contrast to horticultural/pastoral, industrial, and postindustrial societies, where advances in technology and economic structures allow for greater accumulation and control of resources. With the potential for surplus production, social hierarchy tends to emerge, leading to increased social stratification. The ability to accumulate wealth and control resources in these societies often results in the development of social classes, reinforcing disparities in power and access to resources.
In summary, the type of productive technology in hunting and gathering societies fosters a more egalitarian social structure due to the communal nature of resource dependency and limited opportunities for wealth accumulation, distinguishing it from societies with more advanced modes of production.