Unit 1.1 The Culture Concept

World History Lecture Notes

 

I. A Definition of Culture

 

Culture: All the most recent definitions of culture come from an evolutionary perspective; with one of the most famous being Louis Binford's view that: "Culture is all those behaviors whose forms are not under direct genetic control which serve to adjust individuals and groups within their ecological communities". 

 

a. Culture: refers to a group of people's tools, skills, customs, arts, and ideas.

 

Culture is behavioral patterns that are handed down over the generations. It began with the use of stone tools, the sharing of food, and primitive communication. Eventually cultural information included hunting and gathering techniques, and finally complex farming cultures that required large numbers of people to work together for a common goal.

 

b. Evolution: evolution is a change over time in the frequency of a particular trait.

 

1) this can include things as complex as subsistence method, or as simple as clothing styles

2) concept of cultural evolution can be used as a framework for explaining cultural change as the

            differential persistence of variation in cultural characteristics

 

c. human evolution and the development of society over time are dependent on cultural evolution.

 

II. Culture as an Adaptive Strategy

 

a. as a species, humans aren’t really good at anything other than thinking

            1) most animals are in some way bigger, faster, or even more patient than we are.

            2) But humans can think, & put thought into action. that’s our cultural advantage

 

b. So, what does this mean for the cultural attributes of a group of people?

            1) Well, first, let’s think of some examples of cultural characteristics

                        This can include material culture, like:

                                    tools we make

                                    homes that we build

                                    cloths that we wear

            2) But can also include social characteristics of our culture, such as:      

                        social and political organizations

                        family units

                        religious organizations

            3) Can you think of any more?

 

III. Cultural Transmission

 

a. Cultural Evolution:  An Analogy of Biological Evolution.

            1) Evolutionary theory was developed to describe changes to the biology of an organism, and for it to be

                        incorporated into a cultural framework, adjustments must be made.

            2) These mostly revolve around the method of transmission of characters to the next generation.

 

 

b. Culture as an Adaptive Strategy.

            1) Culture must be thought of as an adaptive strategy no different than long teeth or

                        fast running speed. Lions have big teeth and claws, giraffes have long necks,

                        birds fly, humans have culture.

            2) a unique part of this is that culture has the potential to receive feedback from the

                        environment, and then adjust to the environmental situation within the

                        lifetime of a single organism.

            3) no genetic change has to occur for cultural evolution to proceed.

            4) culture is additive, in that social learning is transmitted within and between

                        generations, not just down to the next generation.

 

c. Speed of Cultural Evolution vs Biological Evolution.

            1) cultural evolution is much faster than biological

                        If I develop a new way to make a tool, I can teach it to everyone in my

                        village   overnight, while, if a human is born who can run faster, that can only

                        be  passed down to their descendents in the next generation.

            2) that is the key to the success of humans as a species. We don’t have to wait for our

                        genes to evolve; we can just have our culture evolve.

 

d. Unit of Cultural Evolution – The Meme

            1) the meme is an analog to the gene

            2) memes are affected by selective processes in the same way as genes

 

e. Significance of a New Meme

            a change in the frequency of a cultural trait over time defines the success of a trait

 

            1) For example, let’s consider a new cultural attribute, like:

                        the development of a better arrowhead,

                        the development of a better computer chip, or

                        the development of a more fuel efficient car

 

            2) These things provide a selective advantage to one society over another.

                        the arrowhead allows a hunter to catch more game for his village

                        the faster computer chip allows a company to create a design process faster than its competitor.

                        a more fuel efficient car allows a country to be less dependent on foreign oil to run its economy.

 

            3) if a trait is successful, then that trait should be passed on to the next generation at

                        a higher rate than other traits

                                    i. over time, we see more of the new arrowheads, more of the faster

                                                chips, and more of the more fuel efficient cars.

            4) that is a change in meme frequency over time, and that is cultural evolution

 

f. evolutionary change does not mean progress, or even increased complexity, only a change in adaptive

            strategy to a set of environmental variables.

 

IV. Selection and Selective Pressure

 

a. we can think of culture is a character that is effected by selective pressures in the environment

 

b. selective forces permeate the universe, and everything is under selective pressure

            1) You, as students, are under selective pressure for grades.

            2) You may be under selective pressure trying to get a date.

            3) You may be under selective pressure in your hunt for a job.

            4) Our school may be under selective pressure in trying to get good students.

            5) Our nation is under selective pressure through economic competition with other nations.

 

c. The criteria for selective value are manifold, including:

            1) the efficiency of energy capture

            2) survival and reproductive success

            3) and even perceived satisfaction of needs and wants.

 

d. For a cultural trait to have evolutionary significance, it must be invented or discovered; accepted and adopted by the general population as a mode of behavior; and passed down to succeeding generations.

 

Activity: I want you to form small groups and explore these questions.

            1) What things might happen to our own city to cause it to become an archaeological site?

            2) What changes can be observed in your own society right now that might appear to future

                        archaeologists to be symptoms of collapse?

            3) What adaptations might we make as a society to avoid succumbing to an environmental

                        collapse?

            In your discussion, make sure you talk about such things as:

                        → our subsistence strategies and how they deal with population increases and

                                    environmental changes

                        → our exploitation of the environment and how we contribute to its degradation

                        → our rate of population growth and how that may impact the environment

                        → are we reaching the carrying capacity of our local environment?

                        → what are our limiting resources in the Phoenix Valley?

                        → which of these resources make us the most vulnerable to environmental collapse

            ♫ Choose a representative of the group to present your summary to the class