Final answer:
Morgan believed 'savage societies' were at an earlier and lower stage of societal evolution, characterized by barbarism and inferiority. This view was part of a larger, now discredited, framework that ranked civilizations hierarchically. Contemporary research dismisses these stereotypes, revealing more egalitarian and cooperative social structures in non-Western cultures.
Step-by-step explanation:
Morgan believed that people who lived in savage societies were existing in a state of barbarism or were at a lower stage of civilization compared to people in Western societies. His ideas were part of the wider belief in social evolutionary theories, which held that human societies evolved in a linear fashion from 'savage' to 'civilized'. This hierarchical view, coupled with ideas from Social Darwinism, categorized entire communities and cultures based on a perceived level of technological, moral, or intellectual advancement.
The concept of primitivism and stereotypes such as the inability to digest alcohol, laziness, or lack of intelligence were also derived from this school of thought, which influenced views on Africans and Native Americans under the guise of Orientalism. In contrast to these negative stereotypes, contemporary research into hunter-gatherer societies suggests they were often egalitarian, with flexible social structures, valuing cooperation and shared decision-making.