Culture and Evolution
Graduate Class
Lectures and Readings
Anthropology has a long history of efforts to incorporate evolutionary theory into the study of culture and culture change. This class introduces the student to that history, an intellectual project that has incorporated archaeological, historical and ethnographic data into the construction of processural trajectories of culture change. In recent years there has been an expanding interest in new and innovative approaches to applying evolutionary theory to culture. The course begins with an exploration of the classic cultural evolution of the pioneers of the discipline. We spend the remainder of the course investigating each of the new evolutionary paradigms of understanding: human behavioral ecology, dual inheritance, evolutionary psychology, and complexity/expanded evolutionary theory. These theories differ in focus. One is more psychological, one behavioral, one addresses change in the symbolic-cultural, and one locates culture change within the self-organization of ecosystems, economies, and our biosphere. Together these approaches contribute to a broader understanding of the processes of human development, and its context as an evolutionary science.
Much of this material is also covered in the undergraduate class, The New Cultural Evolution. That class is simplified somewhat and briefer in content. It does not include the Complexity and Cultural Evolution section below. In a way, it has a more coherent narrative content. That is because the material below was gradually assembled over 15 years or more. There are 30 ppts. Our semesters were painfully long, 18 weeks, which usually meant 16 classes and 2 exam weeks. Obviously, 30 ppts were never presented in one semester. Over the years, these ppts came and went, and sometimes returned, all depending on my interests at the time. I’ve included them all here because each has value in its own ways, IMO.
Introduction
Introduction to Biocultural Anthropology
Our graduate school was aiming to emphasize biocultural anthropology, with cultural evolution as one component. I produced this simple, and hopefully entertaining ppt, to briefly name and describe possible areas of research. In addition to cultural evolution we proposed paleoanthropology, genetic anthropology, human osteology, forensic anthropology, primatology, and physical variation, together offered as scientific biocultural anthropology.
Classic Cultural Evolution (1860s-1980s-Present) (Macro)
These first two ppts begin with reference to the graduate History and Theory class. With or without that class, the ppts stand very well on their own. This ppt recites the history of classic cultural evolution. It goes back further in time than many anthropology students expect, and importantly it is located in a new era of biological science.
Sociocultural Evolution (Johnson and Earle, 2000, Ch. 1)
This ppt begins with discussion of the classic ‘stage theories’ of cultural evolution. The second half of the ppt relates that tradition to the newer ‘subsistence strategy’ stage approaches, and then compares them to the newer ‘big history’ efforts, especially the work of Ian Morris. The ppt ends by comparing that work with theories of energy self-organization that are taken up below under Complexity and Cultural Evolution. It finishes with some ‘creative’ systems diagrams of my own.
Many of the classic approaches to cultural evolution have been accused of being ‘functionalist’. What does that mean? This valuable ppt takes a deep dive into the concept of functionality in science. Darwinian explanations are functional, how are they justified? A graphical model of a functional explanations is employed (from W&S 1992:42) to interrogate many of the classical cases of functional explanation in anthropology. This ppt is complemented by a second part in the ppt below, Functionalism and NET.
This brief ppt retells the story of plant and animal domestication as told by Ian Morris in Why the West Rules - For Now. A warming period after the last ice age was followed suddenly by a return to ice age temperatures for a brief period. It is argued that domestication appeared in response to the cooling.
This is my story of Taiwan prehistory. Taiwan’s unique environment, geography, and weather are critical to the story. It is also included in my Human Adaptation class where it fits among the Trade-based Polities of SE Asia. See discussion there.
Complexity and Cultural Evolution (1980s-Present) (Macro)
Introduction to Complexity and Evolution
This is a brief introductory ppt to the topics of energy self-organization.
Newtonian Background Assumptions (Depew and Weber, 1988)
Another brief introduction ppt, this on the ‘background assumptions’ of the Newtonian worldview, compared to those of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Short but very informative.
This is a great ppt, together with the early Functionalisms ppt. It extends the discussion of ‘Functionalisms’ above in that ppt. It asks, how can the three components of the Darwinian model apply to culture or other large systems of nature - Mutation, Heredity, and Natural Selection (or Reproductive Fitness). It adds NET or non-equilibrium thermodynamics of Prigogine, or the energy self-organization of HT Odum as a means by which large systems can be produced and maintained. It makes some of the key arguments that are also in my “New Synthesis Hardens” paper in my Complex Systems research area. In fact, it improves or clarifies some arguments because it allows more space for diagrams and constructing points. I should have inserted some of the arguments into my new paper, “Odum’s Contributions to Evolutionary Theory”, also in Complex Systems. This ppt also introduces briefly ‘positive interactions’, which is the subject of the next ppt.
In recent years much interest has been given to the role of positive interactions in evolution and in the formation of ecosystems. Research into this topic has been variously labeled ‘facilitation’, ‘ecosystem engineers’, and ‘niche construction’. Essentially, the researchers have shifted their gaze from individual species to the interactions between species and with the physical environment. These approaches explore the many cases in which the behavior of some plant or animal dramatically transforms or engineers habitat, constructing niches for other species, facilitating their survival, and at time increasing biodiversity. The ppt walks through many examples.
Cultural Transmission in Cycles
Cultural transmission maintains time-tested energy pathways in human society against Second Law depreciation. Culture is maintained in ‘information cycles’. Cultural information self-organizes into nested hierarchies of information forms or ‘mediums’ of culture. The information hierarchy possesses qualities that are shared by all hierarchies of nature and humanity. The fidelity of cultural transmission at small scales of culture production rely on rapid cycling and statistical learning. At large scales, fidelity is aided by sturdy carriers and specialized knowledge of producers and recipients. Who, what, when, how, and where is culture transmitted. The new cultural evolutionists have their own answers to these questions. The answers from energy self-organization are quite different. Is science a privledged view of the world? It possesses characteristics that distinguish it from other information forms: special energy inputs, large cycle time and space, limited production events, and high fidelity transmission. Conversation, by comparison, is diminished in each of these.
The Ecosystem Context of Evolution
Evolution is the play performed on the stage of the ecosystem (to paraphrase Hutchinson). Three emergent properties of ecosystems are (1) ecosystems ‘cycle’ essential nutrients for life, (2) ecosystems self-organize through the stages of ‘succession’ within the ‘pulses’ of the ‘adaptive cycle’, and (3) ecosystems ‘dissipate’ available energy as they perform useful work. Two important nutrient cycles are phosphorus and nitrogen. Holling’s adaptive cycle from r to K is ecosystem succession. Odum gives this repeating pattern of cycling another name, ‘pulsing’. Both Holling and Odum contend that this pattern is found in nature in a nested hierarchy of pulsing or cycling. On a global scale, the sunlight energy that reaches the Earth is eventually converted by ecosystems to low-level heat, which leaves the Earth as infrared radiation.
Dual Inheritance / Coevolution (1980s-Present) (Micro)
Dual Inheritance (Richerson and Boyd, 2005, Ch. 3)
This is my original homebodies and hellraisers ppt. There is an earlier version of the longer Dual Inheritance and Memetics ppt in the New Cultural Evolution. Something it adds is some criticism of the ‘biases’ approach of Richerson and Boyd. The term ‘bias’ refers to some deviation from trait frequencies in parent generations. Calling them biases, and thus assuming some deviation from a norm of cultural transmission, may be misleading. Evaluation and switching when appropriate should be viewed as the norm. See the ppt for the full argument.
This is the same ppt in the New Cultural Evolution, with a different title, Culture and Cultural Transmission.
This is a short ppt, dedicated to the topic of niche construction.
Cultural in Information Cycles
This ppt is similar to the Cultural Transmission in Cycles ppt above, except that it adds descriptions of each of the information cycles.
Human Behavioral Ecology (1980s-Present) (Middle Range)
This is the same ppt in the New Cultural Evolution.
This is the same ppt in the New Cultural Evolution.
HBE Summary (Smith and Winterhalder, 1992, Ch. 1)
This is the same ppt in the New Cultural Evolution.
For most social scientists, game theory is a language or taxonomy to parse the social world. It is used as a taxonomy with minimal mathematics because understanding prototypical games requires nothing beyond simple logic. Here is a list of useful games, many we explore in this ppt: Prisoner’s Dilemma, Public Goods Game, Ultimatum Game, Dictator Game, Trust Game, Gift Exchange Game, Third-Party Punishment Game. A menu of games can be used to measure social preferences. Games are reductions of social phenomena to something extremely simple. Anthropologists are often interested in understanding how social norms and preferences emerge, evolve, and vary across cultures. These games provide a tool for empirical anthropology.
This is a brief ppt on cooperation. The many forms of cooperation can be called ‘collective action problems’ (CAPs) or ‘social dilemmas’, faced by all social species. Humans are especially good at solving CAPs, perhaps because of our language ability. Language can facilitate complex coordination. It is essential for establishing norms governing production efforts and distribution of collective goods. It significantly lowers the cost of detecting and punishing ‘free riders’, which enhances the scope and power of standard conditional reciprocity. It encourages new forms of collectively beneficial displays (signaling) and reputation management (indirect reciprocity). Human signaling strategies improve cooperation.
Evolutionary Psychology (1980s-Present) (Micro)
EP Introduction – What you Dislike about EP
Why do some men cheat on their wives? Answer: They are programmed to produce as many offspring as possible with as many women as possible. Why do women seek to marry men with money? Answer: They are programmed to find men who can ‘invest’ in their offspring. Once found, they trap them in marriage, keep them at home, and will not let them go ‘out with the boys’ or ‘chase’ other women. These types of questions and answers were proposed by early sociobiologists and the press. They were rejected by later evolutionary psychologists. Today relationships between men and women are seen in different ways, with different research questions Why are men faithful? Why is monogamy successful? And many other questions are explored.
This is the same ppt in the New Cultural Evolution.
Cooperative Alliances (Buss (2009, Chs. 9)
These next four ppts are detailed descriptions of topics studied by evolutionary psychologists, each topic from a different chapter of Buss’s 2009 textbook. There is more detail here than in the New Cultural Evolution. This ppt covers these topics: Cooperation in Nature, The Psychology of Friendship, Costs and Benefits of Friendship, Cooperative Coalitions.
Aggression and Warfare (Buss (2009, Chs. 10)
This ppt covers these topics: Aggression as a Solution to Adaptive Problems, Why are Men More Violently Aggressive Than Women, Aggression Against Women, and Warfare.
Status, Prestige, and Social Dominance (Buss, 2009, Chs. 12)
This ppt covers these topics: The Emergence of Dominance Hierarchies, Dominance, Prestige, and Status, Sex Differences in Status Striving, Dominance Theory, Social Attention-Holding Theory, Determinants of Dominance, and Strategies of Submissiveness
Conflict Between the Sexes (Buss, 2009, Chs. 11)
This ppt covers these topics: Strategic Interference Theory, Conflict about the Occurrence and Timing of Sex, Sexual Aggression and Evolved Defenses against Sexual Aggression, Jealousy and Mate Retention Tactics, and The Intensity of Mate Retention Tactics
Summing Up
Six Styles in the Evolutionary Analysis of Human Behavior? (Smith, 2000)
This ppt summarizes the six styles in the evolutionary analysis of human behavior that have been covered in this class: Cultural Evolution, Dual-Inheritance, the Expanded Synthesis, Cultural Information Cycles, Evolutionary Psychology, and Human Behavioral Ecology. For each style, it uses the format from Smith (2000) of identifying key assumptions, the consequences of key assumptions, and major foci of research. The ppt ends with several comparative tables of the six styles.