Reference no: EM13791831

Abstract
Social evolution is inherent to human society since man is constantly interacting with technological, economic, demographic, and social forces. These changes do not follow a specific channel, but the result is creation of new social needs and wants. "Public good capitalism" dictates that though businesses emerge to make profit, they also need to meet a social need. The sexual revolution, the women rights activism, and the gay and lesbian rights movements agitated for rights equality, but they also created social vacuums, ergo creating business opportunities for entrepreneurs. Nonetheless, each social evolution creates unique needs and wants, meaning business opportunities are not uniform for all social changes.

The Evolution of Social Behavior and Opportunities That Arise

A defining feature of mankind is the ability to organize, and socialize with the immediate environment, which can either be the natural environment, social groups and organizations. While this feature largely relates to man's propensity to make the best of most situations, such as living communally to offer greater protection to society members; it also relates to the innate nature of man's curiosity. Yeats and Yeats (2007) observe that curiosity in man fuels the need to learn, and investigate, and can only be satisfied ". . . behaviorally through exploration", and this in turn helps man attain goals and make decisions (p. 118). This also implies that man acts in specific ways due to the curiosity aroused within, and this leads to change in behavior over time, since man is always exploring new possibilities and ideas.

However, more than act out of the simple drive to quench curiosity, individuals in society also act due to other motives. Whitworth and Whitworth (2010) point out that man in society acts out of self and social interests, in both the natural and social world. Therefore, when an individual starts a business, the aim is to make profit, but at the same time, meet a social need. This is the reason in the first civilized nations, individuals decided to cooperate so that fighting enemies and securing food could be easier; thus in this instance, man cooperates with other people, in order to meet the selfish motive of self preservation. Whitworth and Whitworth (2010) add that human evolution paralleled social and technical evolutions, and is the reason man started living communally; social evolution dictated that forceful taking of items from other people was wrong, hence the commencement of simple trade.

Over millennia, social behavior has evolved, causing changes in social structures and paradigms. This is because individuals in society, who make up social structures and adhere to societal paradigms, primarily drive changes in social behavior. This is a premise Ross (2012) supports, stating that although explanations of social changes are en masse; the actions of the individual members of society are what explain the root cause of any social change or evolution. In addition, Ross (2012) argues that social evolution leads to increased individualism, which in turn spurs further change in social behavior and subsequent social evolution. This is the reason changes in social behavior have led to opportunities for companies and organizations because social evolution imply that new needs and wants are created by the change in behavior of all or part of society members. Thus, "public good capitalism" emerges to cater for the new needs brought on by changes in social behavior (Whitworth & Whitworth, 2010). Social behavior in man has been evolving in tandem with technical and organizational changes in society. This has led to societal wide changes in social behavior; and created new opportunities for businesses to fill gaps left by these changes; and therefore, the evolution of social behavior has over time been giving entrepreneur's new opportunities.

Factors Affecting Social Behaviors

Social behaviors have been evolving for as long as man has been around. This is because changes in living conditions and the environment dictate that man adapts in order to optimize their chances of survival (Boesch, 2012). For instance, in the first civilizations; societies had to discover the "golden rule" of not pillaging each other in order to live peacefully, and instead chose to trade what they had with what they needed (Whitworth & Whitworth, 2010). This meant that individuals in society could live in harmony, leading to tighter bonds between members of the same community, and increasing the odds of survival. Boesch (2012) also supports this outlook citing an experiment on chimpanzees and human beings that showed both mammals usually changed their social behavior in order to solve problems, and care for weaker members of a social group. Therefore, the external environment is a great motivation for human beings to change behavior in order to maximize their chances of survival. Nelson (2006) adds to this premise, arguing that social evolution resides in culture itself ". . . as a body ofpractice, beliefs, values, and norms, that are broadly shared within a society" (p. 504). So, the direct interactions of human beings, their environemt, as well as cultural compomnents of society contribute to social evolution.

Apart from changing behavior in order to survive in the external environment, technological changes in the environment also lead to change in social behavior. The main reason for this is that exposing an individual to a new way of doing the same thing, implies that interaction with the process changes, leading to a change in behavior. This is an outlook Duckworth (2009) clearly states arguing that:
Behavior is thought to primarily drive evolutionary change because a change in behavior that results in a switch to a new environment or new way of interacting with the environment exposes organisms to novel selection pressures resulting in evolution of . . . life history and physiology. (p. 14).

Thus, implying that introduction of a new technology, gives individuals more choice on how to interact with the environment, and in extension other people because the technology has created a new social paradigm. This is a premise Greenwood and Guner (2010) buttress stating that social evolution relates to technological changes in society, which affect the production and consumption abilities; which create an incentive to individuals not to abide by social mores and customs. So, when people start changing their behavior in order to take advantage of new opportunities, societal wide changes emerge, leading to a social evolution (Greenwood &Guner, 2010). For instance, the development of the contraceptive pill in the sixties, led to the sexual revolution because attitudes on sex and the fear of getting pregnant changed since, a new technology (the pill) had shattered any fears of sexual activity before marriage (Greenwood &Guner, 2010).

Finally, an explanation of the evolution of social behavior is incooperation in joint enterprises in society. De Silva et al. (2010) states that in cooperation in joint enterprises, individuals often act selfishly, looking to reap more than they put in such situations. This is because individuals try to make sure that they use as little personal resources as possible, yet gain as much as possible from the rest of society. However, in case participation in the joint enterprise is voluntary, participants will often join in even when altruism, where other people reap all benefits of a contribution, is strong (De Silva et al., 2010). Therefore, in the case of social change, such as the fight for racial equality, only a few individuals drive the evolution, because the social order of the day resists the sought after change and sanctions such as jail may be in the offing. Society members may also not join the movement if asked to, but if society members see the benefits inherent in the social change, then they are likely to participate in the social change, even though they personally may not live to see the benefits of the same. Therefore, the reasons why social evolutions take place are many and varied, ranging from technological and environmental changes, to innate factors in human beings such as the desire to create a better society.

The Revolution of Social Evolution

Social evolution in societies takes place over a long period. This is because though measured at a societal level, social evolution propagates through individuals in society. A premise Ross (2012) concurs with noting that ". . . actions of collectives must ultimately decompose into, and this be explained by reference to, actions of their individual members" (p. 3). Nevertheless, in order for social evolution to take place, there has to be a tipping point; a revolution that triggers the start of the social evolution. Rousseau (2006) argues that while specific historical changes are hard to predict, the major triggers of social change fall into four variables: technological, environmental, economic, and demographic.

To illustrate these variables Rousseau (2006) offers an example of a primitive society that is undergoing growth, in order to survive, the society forms a language so that communication becomes easier, and this can help that particular society survive since members of that society can communicate and direct each other to food, and warn each other on danger. Again, to illustrate the variable of environment, Wasielesk and Hayibor (2009) explain that in the establishment of organizations, values such as altruism, reciprocity and social exchange emerge because in the specific environment of the business organization, these values are important in helping the business survive. Finally, to illustrate the variable of technology, Cohen (2012) argues that when the contraceptive pill was developed in the sixties, sexual attitudes and behavior in society changed because the risk inherent in sexual intercourse; pregnancy, was removed and this liberated sexual activity to the masses; the married and unmarried who did not now face the risk of pregnancy. Thus, specific changes in social behavior emerge due to the need to adapt to new conditions of life, and these changes only begin with a trigger; a revolution that signals the start of a social evolution.

Evolutions in Social Behavior

Over the years, there have been major evolutions in social behavior in human society. These changes have either affected the whole society, or a part of society, and this is what has determined how fast adoption of changes in social behavior takes place.A number of factors have driven social evolutions over the years, and the speed at which the evolution has taken place has been determined by the technology of the era. This therefore, means that as technology progressed, social evolutions took place much faster, and adopted by the public at a slightly faster pace than the evolution preceding it.

The Sexual Revolution

The sexual revolution was one of the major social changes in society in the Twentieth century. This revolution challenged traditional outlooks of sex, interpersonal relationships, and sexual behavior and attitudes (Smith, 1990). The desire by women to break the chains of male dominance and servitude in social and sexual matters, and the development of new technology fueled the revolution. According to Cohen (2012), before the advent of the contraceptive pill, unmarried women had little say when it came to sex, because sexual intercourse carried the risk of pregnancy, which in turn could lead to unsafe illegal abortions, forced marriages and single motherhood; choices that society greatly frowned upon. Therefore, the invention of the contraceptive pill meant that erstwhile sexual mores were no longer valid because the risk inherent in sexual intercourse; pregnancy was removed. In addition, by having the power to engage in premarital sex, the sexual revolution driven by the development of the contraceptive pill meant that women had greater control over their lives, since they could delay marriage and having children. In fact, Cohen (2012) observes that the sexual revolution enhanced economic power among women, because delayed marriage and procreation meant that women could pursue their careers and other economic activities wholly. This meant that women became breadwinners, and competed on an almost level footing with men in the labor market.

Today, sexual activity and attitudes towards sex are more open than ever before. Sexual debut among teenagers and young people has considerably lowered, and more young people are having premarital sex than ever before. Greenwood and Guner (2010) point out that in 2002, around 75% of all teenagers had experienced premarital sex, compared to around 6% in 1900, mainly because sexual desire among women is no longer contained within the confines of marriage. In addition, this care free attitude towards sex has also led to serious social outcomes. Malhotra (2008) observes that today, 19 million Sexually Transmitted Illnesses (STIs) occur yearly, with half of the cases occurring in young people aged 15 and 24. In addition, early sexual debut also leads to the inability to form healthy long term relationships and altered self esteem (Malhotra, 2008). Therefore, the sexual revolution not only freed women from the chains of male dominance, it also led to increased economic independence and forever changed the standards and attitudes that society applies to sex.

Women Rights Activism

The women rights activism was one of the most important social evolutions to man because it affected women from all walks of life, and from all over the world. In addition, the women rights activist movement is considered an important social evolution because more than agitate for the social, economic, and political rights of women, it also aided the rest of society in eliminating injustices in social, economic, and political spheres for all (Alonso, 1993). This is because attainment of rights by women could only be through change of policies so that all human beings could have equal rights. The women rights movement did not originate at a single point in time, rather it was a movement that started spontaneously by women from various spheres of life. Alonso (1993) observes that the women rights movement originated from churches, women clubs all over the country and other social movements such as the abolitionist movement in the nineteenth century. All these origins had a different agenda, but the common thread that linked them, and which ultimately led to the women rights movement was that they were all fighting for the equality of women in society. Nevertheless, the basis of the women rights movement was the blatant inequalities between men and women and society, and the lack of opportunity for women. Hawkesworth (2006) argues that issues such as coerced contraception, malnutrition, forced sterilization, unwanted sexual relations, violence at home, and poor maternal and child care were major triggers in the development of the women rights movement. Additionally, denial of rights to own property, gain custody of children, and even vote were also major triggers in the development of

the women rights movement.

The women rights activism was a significant social evolution because it was a social change that not only led to society ceding rights to women, but also aided in the creation of a nation where all members are equal. Specifically, the women rights movement was key in agitating for the abolition of slavery. Alonso (1993) shows that as early as 1832, Elizabeth Chandler a women rights crusader was stating that slavery should end and women could help by standing for other women in enslavement. Furthermore, a number of women rights activists compared slavery to life as a woman because both were ". . . kept in subjection by physical; force" and considered more like property than human beings (Alonso, 1993, p. 32). Therefore, women rights activism helped push along the abolition of slavery and realization of equal rights for all.

Nonetheless, although the women rights movement are traceable to the nineteenth century, it is still ongoing as women continue for equality in all spheres of life, including education, and employment opportunities. For example, the fight to have the contraceptive available to all women regardless of marriage status relates to the women rights movement because it was a fight to give women control over their lives and sexuality. In addition, gender based affirmative actions also related to the women rights movement because it entails the struggle to have equal representation for women in education, employment, and opportunities in life.

Racial and Civil Rights Movement

Racial inequality and race have been important elements in the creation of the American nation. This is because the nation was built on the premise of political and religious freedom, as well as economic liberty. However, below the America dream, the nation was built on the shoulders of inequality, oppression, slavery and denial of fundamental freedoms based on race (Wright & Rogers, 2011). Today, minorities in the United States lag in virtually all areas of social life, likely to be poor than whites, earn 40% less than whites, get inferior education, live in poorer neighborhoods and generally have lower quality of life (Bonilla-Silva, 2013). This situation is made more glaring when most people in the United States claim that they are not racists, and neither do they condone it (Bonilla-Silva, 2013). Therefore, although the American society is one of the most democratic espousing values such as freedom and equality, it is still engaged in a fight with an unseen enemy: racism. Racism links to slavery on the premise that slave owners had to look for reasons as to why slaves could not be free. Thompson (2003) in a critical paper on racism states that the main slaves were though of as dim witted, and incapable of being let to live on the mercy of their limited mental capacity; therefore, it was necessary that that are enslaved to prolong their lives. It was for this reason, and more stereotypes that fueled the need for the racial evolution.

The drive of the racial evolution was the desire to have equal rights for all men regardless of race, gender, or social standing. In fact, this evolution is fundamental in today's society because it espouses the most basic human right; freedom and as such other social evolutions like the gays and lesbians movements have staked their foundation on this evolution. Wright and Rogers (2011) explains the accomplishment of racial evolution was through the civil rights movement, abolition of legal segregation laws and statutes, and continuous breaking down of economic and cultural supports of racism. An example of the laws demolished during the racial evolution was the court case Brown vs. Board of Education, where the United States Supreme Court rules that segregating school children on the basis of race was tantamount to inequality and hence unconstitutional (Warren, 1954).
Nonetheless, the fight for racial equality has been a long struggle, and one that has reaped benefits because today, although inequalities still exist in income, housing, education and access to credit between whites and minority groups, these gaps have reduced compared to the fifties. In addition, gains in the political sphere have also been monumental, as illustrated by the election of a black president (Wright & Rogers, 2011).

The Fight for Gay and Lesbian Rights

Today, public opinions concerning the rights of gay lesbian rights are multifaceted; because of the public debate on whether these rights are moral or good for the family (Wittkopf, 2004). This means that gays and lesbians have support in some part by the public, but face castigation for their sexual orientation on the other end. Ferry (2013) explains that the main aim of lesbian and gay organizations is in essence to have basic equal rights, similar to those share by the larger, normative society made of heterosexuals. This is the reason today, most gay and lesbian organization argue that "we're just like you," in an effort to make the rest of society understand that they are no different from them (Ferry, 2013, p. 105).

However, the fight for gay and lesbian rights is an uphill task because more than facing opposition from part of the public, they also face opposition from a number of religions as well as the conservative wings of government. For instance, Herek, Chopp and Strohl (2007) point out that most Christian denominations vilify gay and lesbianism and most force gay and lesbian members ". . . to remain invisible although their sexual orientation is open secret to the full congregation" (p. 50). In addition, most states in the United States do not allow sex marriages, as well as adoption of children by same sex partners (Herek et al., 2007).
The black civil rights movement and the women's liberation movement marked by the sexual revolution of the sixties fueled the development of the gay and lesbian rights movement. Therefore, the gay and lesbian movement developed along the same lines as these movements even using some of their tactics such as civil disobedience and protest. In addition, the gay and lesbian movement tried to appeal to the American public that it was agitating for freedom, a concept most Americans, who were enjoying a liberalized

sexual outlook, at the time supported (Johnson, 2009).

It is also the premise of freedom and personal rights that makes the fight for gay and lesbian rights a landmark social evolution. This is because sexual orientation is a private matter, and the right to have any sexual orientation is personal choice. Therefore, if society cedes the fight for gay and lesbian rights, then human society will have passed a milestone in human sociology and the perception of rights in society. Chasin (2001) affirms this point by arguing that the fight for gay and lesbian rights is a fight for identity, and identity relates to liberalism, which often seeks to ". . . insulate public-or- political matters from private matters", and it is the state that often fixes the insulation (p. 16). So, by attaining the rights for gays and lesbians worldwide, the society will have passed the threshold where the state is supreme to the rights and identity of the individual. Nonetheless, this outlook is yet to come, because support for gays and lesbians rights is partial, and laws to protect this group minimal. In addition, gays and lesbians continue to face stigmatization, and face sexual prejudice from the rest of society.

Technological Evolution

The current age is widely regarded as the information age and with good reason. Today, 85% of homes in America have multichannel TV, two thirds can access the internet, and another two thirds use wireless carriers for communicating, with the rest relying on landlines (Lin & Atkin, 2009). This means that at any given time, information is always flowing from person to person. Furthermore, the advent of social media has heralded a new age of communicating and interacting. Ellison (2007) explains that social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace have changed social interaction because now people who would not have met physically are doing so through latent ties, probably between mutual friends, the commonality of location, or even past. When compared to the past when communication was through the telegraph, a landline phone, and entertainment was usually a single TV channel, today's generation has grown a mile apart from erstwhile generations.

Tapscott (2008) argues that the net generation (N-Generation), aged between 0 and 20 years are technologically savvy than any other age group. They are smart, focused, curious, and high in self esteem and offer the greatest cultural challenge to baby boomers through their use of technology (Tapscott, 2008).This generation can access information at the click of a button, and the invention of devices such as the Smartphone has ensured that information sharing is fast and easy. In addition, the net generation considers the internet an integral part of their lives, and it is for this reason that a generation gap has come up.
Evolution of Social Behavior and Opportunities That Arise

Social change not only affects behavior, it also has the capacity to affect social structures, organizations and create new opportunities for entrepreneurs, and or individuals in society. This is because social changes in society do not occur in isolation, since man perpetuates them, and they affect man. For instance, Hauert (2006) argues that in structured societies, individuals often specialize and diversify spontaneously into individuals who invest either little or a lot into society. This therefore, implies that in case of a social change, then individuals in society either work towards building society via the new change or ignore the change, so that ". . . homogeneous populations with uniform investment levels" becomes the exception rather than the norm (Hauert, 2006, p. 332). For instance, the adoption of technology has led individuals to invest a lot in society because technology is the future, and almost everyone has adopted it. Ross (2012) also supports this argument stating that although measurement of social changes is communal, it is by examining the individual that the cause and effect of a change comes out clearly.

In addition, because social changes create gaps in society, businesses, which serve the public good, but still aim for profit; fill the void left by the changes (Whitworth & Whitworth, 2010). Bergman (2002) lends credibility to this argument pointing out that Darwin's theory of survival promoted capitalism, which is individualistic in nature and where exploitative economics is the norm. Thus, weaker businesses and social structures give way to stronger ones, and changes in society create opportunities, best exploited by businesses with the ability to do so. It is for this reason that social evolution, more than create behavior change, and change social structures, such as creation of an equal society through the abolition of slavery, gender discrimination, and racism; has created economic opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Sexual Revolution and Arising Business Opportunities

According to Smith (1990) the sexual revolution primarily dealt with changing traditional attitudes towards sex, sexual behaviors, and interpersonal relationships. The development of the contraceptive pill jump started the revolution, and it meant that women more than ever had control over their sexuality, could determine when to get married, and when to get children (Cohen, 2012) Therefore, women could pursue careers, and join the labor market, and this created a new economic class, one which entrepreneurs took advantage of.
To start with, women started dressing differently, predominantly in short stylish skirts, heels, and using makeup. In addition, discos sprouted all over the country as a response to the new awakened sexuality among both genders. For instance, McGill (1980) points out that discos were responses to the fact that people were now aware of their sexuality, and the discos offered a chance to creatively express this feeling in public. Similarly, during the sexual revolution clothing took on the job of showing off the sexual awakening among people. Again, McGill (1980) observes that clothes were chosen because they could be used to show sex appeal, impact people visually and engage wearers in fantasy. Therefore, it is evident that due to the sexual revolution, new gaps in society were created, and entrepreneurs filled these gaps by creating businesses.

The Gay and Lesbian Rights Movement and Arising Business Opportunities

The fight for gay and lesbian rights largely relates to the fight for individual identity in the larger society. This is because the fight for these rights is so that society looks upon the gay and lesbian community as similar to the rest of society. Nevertheless, similar to other social evolutions, the fight for gay and lesbian rights has also created opportunities for entrepreneurs primarily because of the refusal by mainstream society to cede ground to the gay and lesbian community.
To illustrate this, Clendinen and Nagourney (2001) point out that when the gay and lesbian evolution begun in the sixties, social amenities to host gay couples were lacking, and as a result, gay bars sprouted. Gay couples loved gay bars because they offered shelter, freedom, romance, seduction, friendship, and escape; however, since most bars were not officially sanctioned, drinks were overpriced, and social interactions such as hugging, kissing and holding hands limited (Clendinen&Nagourney, 2001). However, today, gay bars have sprouted in almost every city in the world, due to the fact that gays and lesbians live in most societies, and these bars offer a safe haven from a society yet to accept them wholly. As Wittkopf (2004) observes, public opinion among gays is multifaceted with some people supporting them, condemning them, or simply positively attuned to their cause.

In addition, to the development of gay bars, the gay and lesbian revolution has also led to additional opportunities for entrepreneurs, largely explained by the rise of the consumer economy marked by globalization, hyper segmentation and hyper specialization (Chasin, 2001). Today, marketers and producers have realized that a market for gays and lesbians exists and this in turn has created business opportunities. For instance, gay themed movies and Broadway productions target gays and lesbians, while service organizations on the internet like gay dating and chat rooms have also come up to meet the unmet needs of gays and lesbians (Chasin, 2001). Ferry (2013) also adds that marketers and businesses have recognized ". . . the untapped gay and lesbian consumers that they can target to increase revenues" (p. 110). And it is for this reason that production and marketing of gay shows and products take place. In addition, the media and marketers having noticed the ready embracing of the consumerist culture by gays and lesbians are repackaging queerness so that it resembles ". . . straight people, only more fashionable and sassy" (Ferry, 2013, p. 110).
Women Rights Activism and Arising Business Opportunities

The women rights activism was concerned with the brazen disregards of women rights in regards to that of men. It was also concerned with attaining social, economic, and political rights of women (Alonso, 1993). While the fight to attain equal rights targeted women, it was instrumental in propelling other social movements such as the sexual revolution and fight for racial equity because it too, operated on the premise of attaining personal rights. It is also for this reason, that the women rights revolution created business opportunities for entrepreneurs.

When the women rights movement began, most women were either stay at homes mums, or were waiting to be married and raise families on their own. This was the expected route for all women. However, when the women rights movement began, women found out that there was more than family life, and when the sexual revolution began, women finally had the chance to delay marriage, explore sexual desires, and even decide when to have children. The effect of this was that women could get higher education, get employed, and even pursue careers. This therefore means that a new market for products and services arose, primarily made up of single women, with or without children and with economic spending power.

Doepke, Tertilt and Voena (2012) assert this point, arguing that in the past women could ". . . not ownproperty or sign contracts, they had no control over their own body, they couldnot vote, they had no legal way to end a marriage" (p. 1). However, grating of these rights meant, women could own property, meaning that they had access to credit, opening up more businesses for banks. In addition, due to the sexual revolution, marketers, having recognized a new market, in lieu of the modern liberated woman, who also had access to money, again due to a liberated labor market, started targeting women. Chaves (2011) affirms this, arguing that during the sexual revolution, the economy shifted from a production based one, to a consumption based economy where the concept of ". . . pleasure, self gratification, and personal satisfaction" were advocated for (p. 6). This meant that unlike in the past, where women were partners of men, good only for staying at home; the sexual revolution changed this perception, and women took on an individual outlook, defined as individuals rather than partners to their male counterparts. Thus, the sexual revolution changed the concept of woman, from ". . . everyday life and matrimony" to life defined by ". . . personal growth and satisfaction based on individual preferences . . . the concepts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (Chaves, 2011, p. 70).

Conclusion

Social evolution in human society offers a unique premise to study and determine the effects and outcomes of social changes to organizations, societies, individuals, and businesses. This is because as long as man exists, social changes will always form a part of life, and since these changes take place within society, their effects reverberate through all society. Triggers of social change include current technology, environment, economy, and demographic features, and understanding these trigger points in history, can point out major social evolutions (Rousseau, 2006). Nonetheless, a major outcome of social change is the resultant gap in society marked by new needs and wants, non existent before the social change, and the subsequent opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Over time, the evolution of social behavior has been creating new business opportunities for entrepreneurs, mainly because of new social needs and wants. However, the new needs and wants are not similar in all social evolutions, meaning that entrepreneurs need to understand the evolution and its effects before identifying business opportunities. Therefore, a further area of research could be exploring the link between resultant entrepreneurship to social change, and the effects that entrepreneurship has to subsequent social evolutions.
This paper examines various social evolutions and resulting business opportunities in an effort to determine the entrepreneurial choices available. The sexual revolution of the sixties led to a new mode of dressing, the popularization of discotheques and the creation of a modern woman capable of spending her own money. On the other hand, the women rights movement increased the rights of women, making them equal in the eyes of the law; creating opportunities in education and employment. Finally, the gay and lesbian rights movements has created new opportunities for business, since gay bars have sprouted to cater to this social group that is yet to gain total acceptance by mainstream society, and marketers and the media have also cashed in on this social group, marketing them as fun loving, fashionable and worldly.
In the past, social evolutions took time, because the technology at the time hindered rapid communication, and because of the novelty of social evolutions and movements. Nonetheless, today, technology has literally made communication instantaneous, implying that future social evolutions will take a shorter period to mature. This in turn implies that resulting social gaps will need fast filling, before the next social evolution begins.