5 Cultural
evolution – How we relate to one another
Outline | Labor | Instinct | Summary
Òit fairly reeks of theory of mindÓ
Vocabulary
Soft inheritance or acquired traits, learning,
ethos, social behavior, fear group dynamics, kin & kinship, fight or flight
vs. stay & play, socialization, sanity & pathology, taboo, adaptive
vs. maladaptive actions, reciprocity, retribution, conditioning, transference,
neurosis, cooperation vs. coercion.
Outline
. The
Evolution of Culture { 69
.
Early
human culture { 72 Human family tree
1.
2.5 million years of stone tools (Figure 4.1) {
73
2.
250,000 years ago
a.
the Acheulian progressed to Mesolithic
b.
from flake to sophisticated tools
.
The
Great leap forward { 74 J. DiamondÕs
phrase for ÒrevolutionÓ
.
The
roots of warfare { 99
.
Culture
since farming { 105
.
Family
Definition and Structure {108
. From
Family to States {110
.
Norms
& Mechanisms of Cultural Evolution {115
John Locke & Karl Marx.
Natural resources X Human resources = technology
Land times Labor equals capital
See land. labor, & wealth as creators of value.
fight or flight vs. stay & play
norepinephrine [1]
The Great leap forward { 74
Summary
ÒUnderstanding cultural evolution (and how our
brains evolved to make it possible) is both fascinating and critical to an
understanding of how homo
sapiens (from a common ancestor with Homo
erectus) achieved global dominance.Ó p. 97
Steven
Mithln
1. capacity to picture the outcome of future actions {animal
2. fantasm – capacity to ignore
& reject reality{ human
3. Òleap of imagination,Ó
Lyell, Bohr, Einstein, etc. { genii
p. 98
Ònatural selection could be the mechanism responsible for the diversity
of lifeÓ required
such an Òimaginative leap.Ó
98
Òtheory of
mindÓ
Òaware of the thoughts and
intentions of others.Ó
98
Òaggressive behaviorÓ ÒwarfareÓ
98
development of Ògoal directednessÓ
Steps in achieving an end: planning
discussion
cooperation
coercion
99
The roots of warfare { 99
human Òpassive aggression.Ó
ÒRequires
a lot of imaginationÓ
intra-group directed aggression humans share with other
animals. chimps
Gombe males and chimpanzee troops
1971-1977
Òthe Kaskala males had wiped out
the Kahama coomunity.Ó
ÒGoodall thinks that they probably were deliberately
homicidal,Ó
Òliving in an area of recently and dramatically restricted
habitat.Ó
100
ÒFrequent intra-community violence among people . .
. or warfare . . . is nearly ubiquitous among human societies.Ó
101
Òdefend well-marked
territorial areas and kills of prey animals.Ó
101
why donÕt elephants and
dolphins reveal such behavior?
101
Òmodels to inform us about
the likelihood that we have violent Ônatures.?Ó
Òmuch less common among
bonobos than among chimpanzees,Ó
Òfemales initiating
cross-community grooming and even copulation.Ó
101
ÒInfanticide is unreported in bonobos, but it does
occur in chimps.Ó
101
Òwork among other primates
suggests the environmental
flexibility of aggressive behavior.Ó
102
baboons were studied
The males change behavior when aggressive males are
not present.
102
Òresource shortages and
population pressures were involved in the generation of conflict.Ó
102
stages of violence have been
proposed in studies of 132 cultures
102-103
homo erectus 1 million years ago –
spears
cooperative hunting could reduce such intra-group violence
agricultural revolution – permitted military
specialization
103
Òconsideration of entire groups as enemiesÓ
Òsocieties have gone to war
more often as they became more structured into classes, maintained cadres of professional
soldiers, and developed more complex technologies.Ó
103
There is no evidence of genetic determined violent
character traits since friendship is also manifest across populations.
103-104
ÒThere is a paradox here–war is
undesirable from the viewpoint of most sane people, yet warfare persists. Ò
Not instinctual or behaviorally predetermined
ÒCultural evolution is too complex for that.Ó
105
The rapid change wrought by the agricultural
revolution, which led to vastly greater stores of non-genetic information and
transformed the social organizations . . .Ó
105
Ò12,000 to 7,000 years ago
in eight remote and detached
places around the world
1. New Guinea
2. China
3. Persia (Iran) Caucasus
4. Central & South America,
5. North America
6. Africa
7. Northern India
8. Southeast Asia
Jericho,
11,400 years ago
Òbegan
intervening to shape natureÓ
ÒThat
agricultural revolution . . . represents much more than a new stage in human
intergroup violence. It launched our species into an entirely new arena of
cultural evolution, one that did away forever with the long-term human
situation of everyone being the possessor of almost all the non-genetic
information of his or her society.Ó
105-106
Òa coherent picture of
genetic evolutionÓ
culture is equated with non-genetic evolution
106
There is no unified Òtheory of cultureÓ to
match Ònatural selectionÕs predictive power
106
non-genetic information is responsible for humanÕs
Òprofound power to affect all life on Earth.Ó
106
ÒHuman
culture has been evolving for some 6 to 7 million years
107
Ògradually began to master the manufacture of tools.Ó
107
twenty to fifty is the Òoptimal numberÓ of people in an effective human group
Òrelationship between the size of the brainÕs perceiving
thinking structure (the neo-cortex) and the factor that bind primate societies
together.Ó
107
ÒkinshipÓ Òoften
using chemical cluesÓ
Humans rely primarily on
sight and odor clues
107
Òkin selection is one possible explanations for the evolution
of some kinds of altruistic behavior in people:Õ
107
Family Definition and Structure {108
Òsocial learningÓ is
Òlearning by observing others.Ó
108
Òcooperating more with one another in their productive and
reproductive lives than they do with other individuals.Ó
108
ÒNa
people of ChinaÕs matrilinesÓ matrilineal
descent lines
Òthe necessity of intercourse to produce children is
recognized but, the genetic contribution of the male is not.Ó
108-109
Òwomen frequently have dozens of lovers.Ó
109
Segmentation
Clans
emerge as the initial separating mechanism in developing gatherer/hunter
societies
109
From Family to States {110
surpluses built-up by agricultural production led to further segmentation
or
reinforced segmentation already / underway
110
The post-agricultural evolution lead to the reinforcement of nation states
ÒThe
human experience as a small group animal is largely over today for everyoneÓ
111
Òthe language of pseudokinship is
widespread within statesÓ
111
Òthree kinds of circumscriptionÓ the theme and theory of how nation-states develop
1. geographic or environmental barriers
2. resource and
3. social
112
more frequent warfare and the
rise of statehood
114
¥
Norms & Mechanisms of Cultural Evolution {115
They
are examples of the modifications of norms
Diversification
of family structures, agricultural revolution, the changing face of warfare
118
ÒNorms provide cultural... viscosity that can help sustain adaptive behavior and retard detrimental changes in society....Ó
Òchange is itself is a daunting problem.Ó
115
Òstickiness can inhibit the introduction and spread of
beneficial behaviors.Ó
115
"...the evolution of technological norms will generally be more rapid than that of ethical norms."
117
"Technological changes are usually tested promtly against environmental conditionsÐ"
differential speeds of cultural evolution between essential and auxiliary features of tools
Polynesian
canoe designs are more divergent than the structural components necessary for navigation.
Suggest
conservation of survival related qualities and elaboration of non-essential patterns
117
Òfavoring conservation
cultural features that helped avoid disaster slowed the differentiation of structural
characteristics.Ó
117
ÒUnderstanding
cultural evolution (and how our brains evolved to make it possible) is both
fascinating and critical to an understanding of how homo sapiens (from a common ancestor with erectus) achieved global dominance.Ó
118
