Cultural Selection

Front Cover
......Page 1
Title Page
......Page 2
Copyright
......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
1. INTRODUCTION......Page 10
2.1 Evolutionism......Page 14
2.2 Social darwinism......Page 23
2.3 Functionalism......Page 25
2.4 Neo-evolutionism......Page 26
2.5 Diffusionism......Page 31
2.6 Sociobiology......Page 34
2.7 Interaction between genetic and cultural selection......Page 37
2.8 Memetics......Page 42
2.9 Sociology and anthropology......Page 46
2.10 Attempts to make a synthesis of sociobiology and anthropology......Page 48
2.11 Social psychology......Page 50
2.12 Economic competition......Page 51
2.13 Universal selection theory......Page 53
2.14 Conclusion......Page 56
3.1 The genetic basis of culture......Page 60
3.2 Cultural selection......Page 61
3.3 Unit of selection......Page 63
3.4 Innovation......Page 66
3.5 Reproduction......Page 68
3.6 Selection......Page 70
3.7 Selection of meme complexes......Page 74
3.8 Vicarious selection......Page 75
3.9 Barriers in evolution......Page 76
3.10 Differences between genetic and cultural selection......Page 78
3.11 Cultural selection in animals......Page 80
3.12 The applicability of cultural selection theory......Page 81
4.1 The concept of fitness......Page 84
4.2 Genetic selection models......Page 86
4.3 Genetic rand K-selection......Page 88
4.4 Cultural selection models......Page 91
4.5 Cultural rand k-selection......Page 92
4.6 Mechanisms in cultural r/k-selection......Page 95
4.7 Vicarious psychological mechanisms......Page 97
4.8 The paradox of revolution......Page 100
4.9 Typical characteristics of regal and kalyptic cultures......Page 102
4.10 Limitations to the theory......Page 104
4.11 Previously published related theories......Page 105
4.12 Conservativism versus innovativism......Page 109
5.1 The evolution of ever bigger political units......Page 111
5.2 The evolution of religions......Page 114
5.3 Animism......Page 116
5.4 Polytheism......Page 117
5.5 Monotheism......Page 119
5.6 Oriental religions......Page 125
5.7 Religions are created by cultural evolution......Page 128
5.9 Imperialism......Page 130
5.10 Modern society......Page 132
5.11 Migrations......Page 133
5.12 Economic competition......Page 135
6. DEMOGRAPHY......Page 137
7. DIGRESSION: SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AMONG BABOONS......Page 140
8.1 The fight over defining reality......Page 144
8.2 Defining reality in terms of science......Page 146
8.3 Myth making......Page 147
8.4 Witch-hunts and moral panics......Page 150
8.5 The role of the mass media......Page 154
8.6 The objects of witch-hunts......Page 155
9. MASS MEDIA......Page 157
9.1 Advertising and sponsoring......Page 167
9.2 The competition for attention......Page 168
10. SEXUAL BEHAVIOR......Page 170
10.1 Psychological mechanisms......Page 175
10.2 Selection of discourses......Page 177
10.3 Social scripts......Page 178
10.4 Taboo and sacredness......Page 179
11.1 The function of art......Page 190
11.2 Styles and social stratification......Page 195
11.3 Visual art......Page 196
11.4 Music and singing......Page 200
11.5 Dance......Page 210
11.6 Architecture......Page 216
11.7 Clothing......Page 219
11.8 Other arts......Page 222
12.1 Play......Page 223
12.2 Games......Page 228
12.3 Sport......Page 230
12.4 Comparison with other cultural phenomena......Page 233
13. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION......Page 236
13.1 Cultural r/k-selection......Page 237
13.2 Cultural transmission media......Page 240
13.3 The pleasure principle......Page 242
13.4 Are we slaves of the culture?......Page 243
13.5 Testability and sources of error......Page 244
13.6 Explanatory power......Page 250
14. THE FUTURE......Page 252
14.1 Security policy......Page 253
14.2 Population policy......Page 254
14.3 Immigration policy......Page 255
14.5 Media policy......Page 256
14.6 Disadvantages of kalypticity......Page 258
14.7 Hazards by applying the r/k-theory......Page 260
15. EXPLANATION OF WORDS......Page 262
16. LITERATURE
......Page 272
17. KEYWORD INDEX......Page 309
Back Cover
......Page 324