Final answer:
John Bodley's study on cultural scale suggests that human cultures have historically progressed through various stages, greatly influenced by technological and environmental changes, leading to a wide variety of cultural adaptations, as well as potential maladaptations that can threaten civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
John Bodley in his study of cultural scale discusses the historical progression and adaptation of human cultures. He integrates concepts from anthropology to understand how cultural evolution happens and the impacts of technological and environmental changes on societal development. His views build upon ideas from anthropologists like Edward Tylor and Lewis Henry Morgan who theorized about cultural stages from savagery to civilization, with technology acting as a driving force in cultural advancement.
Bodley also acknowledges the capacity of cultures to produce maladaptations that can threaten human civilization. Contemporary anthropological thought, influenced by Julian Steward's cultural ecology and Marvin Harris's cultural materialism, emphasizes the role of environment and material conditions in shaping culture.