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The Resource Cultural science : a natural history of stories, demes, knowledge and innovation, John Hartley and Jason Potts

Cultural science : a natural history of stories, demes, knowledge and innovation, John Hartley and Jason Potts

Creator
Author
Contributor
Summary
  • "Cultural Science introduces a new way of thinking about culture. Adopting an evolutionary and systems approach, the authors argue that culture is the population-wide source of newness and innovation; it faces the future, not the past. Its chief characteristic is the formation of groups or 'demes' (organised and productive subpopulation; 'demos'). Demes are the means for creating, distributing and growing knowledge. However, such groups are competitive and knowledge-systems are adversarial. Starting from a rereading of Darwinian evolutionary theory, the book utilises multidisciplinary resources: Raymond Williams's 'culture is ordinary' approach; evolutionary science (e.g. Mark Pagel and Herbert Gintis); semiotics (Yuri Lotman); and economic theory (from Schumpeter to McCloskey). Successive chapters argue that:-Culture and knowledge need to be understood from an externalist ('linked brains') perspective, rather than through the lens of individual behaviour; -Demes are created by culture, especially storytelling, which in turn constitutes both politics and economics; -The clash of systems - including demes - is productive of newness, meaningfulness and successful reproduction of culture; -Contemporary urban culture and citizenship can best be explained by investigating how culture is used, and how newness and innovation emerge from unstable and contested boundaries between different meaning systems;-The evolution of culture is a process of technologically enabled 'demic concentration' of knowledge, across overlapping meaning-systems or semiospheres; a process where the number of demes accessible to any individual has increased at an accelerating rate, resulting in new problems of scale and coordination for cultural science to address. The book argues for interdisciplinary 'consilience', linking evolutionary and complexity theory in the natural sciences, economics and anthropology in the social sciences, and cultural, communication and media studies in the humanities and creative arts. It describes what is needed for a new 'modern synthesis' for the cultural sciences. It combines analytical and historical methods, to provide a framework for a general reconceptualisation of the theory of culture - one that is focused not on its political or customary aspects but rather its evolutionary significance as a generator of newness and innovation. "--
  • "Cultural Science introduces a new way of thinking about culture. Adopting an evolutionary and systems approach, the authors argue that culture is the population-wide source of newness and innovation; it faces the future, not the past. Its chief characteristic is the formation of groups or 'demes' (organised and productive subpopulation; 'demos'). Demes are the means for creating, distributing and growing knowledge. However, such groups are competitive and knowledge-systems are adversarial. Starting from a rereading of Darwinian evolutionary theory, the book utilises multidisciplinary resources: Raymond Williams's 'culture is ordinary' approach; evolutionary science (e.g. Mark Pagel and Herbert Gintis); semiotics (Yuri Lotman); and economic theory (from Schumpeter to McCloskey). Successive chapters argue that: -Culture and knowledge need to be understood from an externalist ('linked brains') perspective, rather than through the lens of individual behaviour; -Demes are created by culture, especially storytelling, which in turn constitutes both politics and economics; -The clash of systems - including demes - is productive of newness, meaningfulness and successful reproduction of culture; -Contemporary urban culture and citizenship can best be explained by investigating how culture is used, and how newness and innovation emerge from unstable and contested boundaries between different meaning systems; -The evolution of culture is a process of technologically enabled 'demic concentration' of knowledge, across overlapping meaning-systems or semiospheres; a process where the number of demes accessible to any individual has increased at an accelerating rate, resulting in new problems of scale and coordination for cultural science to address"--
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
252 pages
Contents
  • Intro1. Curiously Parallel
  • The Nature of CulturePart I: Culture Makes Groups2. Externalism
  • Identity ('Me' is 'We')3. Demes
  • Universal-Adversarial Groupishness ('We' vs 'They')4. Malvoisine
  • Bad Neighbours5. Citizens
  • Demic Concentration Creates KnowledgePart II: Groups Make Knowledge6. Meaningfulness
  • The Growth of Knowledge7. Newness
  • Innovation8. Waste
  • Reproductive Success9. Extinction
  • Resilience and Ossification Part III: Outro10. A Natural History of Demic Concentration AcknowledgementsReferencesIndex
Isbn
9781849666022
Instance
Label
Cultural science : a natural history of stories, demes, knowledge and innovation
Title
Cultural science
Title remainder
a natural history of stories, demes, knowledge and innovation
Statement of responsibility
John Hartley and Jason Potts
Creator
Contributor
Author
Subject
Language
eng
Summary
  • "Cultural Science introduces a new way of thinking about culture. Adopting an evolutionary and systems approach, the authors argue that culture is the population-wide source of newness and innovation; it faces the future, not the past. Its chief characteristic is the formation of groups or 'demes' (organised and productive subpopulation; 'demos'). Demes are the means for creating, distributing and growing knowledge. However, such groups are competitive and knowledge-systems are adversarial. Starting from a rereading of Darwinian evolutionary theory, the book utilises multidisciplinary resources: Raymond Williams's 'culture is ordinary' approach; evolutionary science (e.g. Mark Pagel and Herbert Gintis); semiotics (Yuri Lotman); and economic theory (from Schumpeter to McCloskey). Successive chapters argue that:-Culture and knowledge need to be understood from an externalist ('linked brains') perspective, rather than through the lens of individual behaviour; -Demes are created by culture, especially storytelling, which in turn constitutes both politics and economics; -The clash of systems - including demes - is productive of newness, meaningfulness and successful reproduction of culture; -Contemporary urban culture and citizenship can best be explained by investigating how culture is used, and how newness and innovation emerge from unstable and contested boundaries between different meaning systems;-The evolution of culture is a process of technologically enabled 'demic concentration' of knowledge, across overlapping meaning-systems or semiospheres; a process where the number of demes accessible to any individual has increased at an accelerating rate, resulting in new problems of scale and coordination for cultural science to address. The book argues for interdisciplinary 'consilience', linking evolutionary and complexity theory in the natural sciences, economics and anthropology in the social sciences, and cultural, communication and media studies in the humanities and creative arts. It describes what is needed for a new 'modern synthesis' for the cultural sciences. It combines analytical and historical methods, to provide a framework for a general reconceptualisation of the theory of culture - one that is focused not on its political or customary aspects but rather its evolutionary significance as a generator of newness and innovation. "--
  • "Cultural Science introduces a new way of thinking about culture. Adopting an evolutionary and systems approach, the authors argue that culture is the population-wide source of newness and innovation; it faces the future, not the past. Its chief characteristic is the formation of groups or 'demes' (organised and productive subpopulation; 'demos'). Demes are the means for creating, distributing and growing knowledge. However, such groups are competitive and knowledge-systems are adversarial. Starting from a rereading of Darwinian evolutionary theory, the book utilises multidisciplinary resources: Raymond Williams's 'culture is ordinary' approach; evolutionary science (e.g. Mark Pagel and Herbert Gintis); semiotics (Yuri Lotman); and economic theory (from Schumpeter to McCloskey). Successive chapters argue that: -Culture and knowledge need to be understood from an externalist ('linked brains') perspective, rather than through the lens of individual behaviour; -Demes are created by culture, especially storytelling, which in turn constitutes both politics and economics; -The clash of systems - including demes - is productive of newness, meaningfulness and successful reproduction of culture; -Contemporary urban culture and citizenship can best be explained by investigating how culture is used, and how newness and innovation emerge from unstable and contested boundaries between different meaning systems; -The evolution of culture is a process of technologically enabled 'demic concentration' of knowledge, across overlapping meaning-systems or semiospheres; a process where the number of demes accessible to any individual has increased at an accelerating rate, resulting in new problems of scale and coordination for cultural science to address"--
Assigning source
  • Provided by publisher
  • Provided by publisher
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorDate
1948-
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Hartley, John
Index
index present
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorDate
1972-
http://library.link/vocab/relatedWorkOrContributorName
Potts, Jason
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Culture
  • Knowledge, Sociology of
  • SOCIAL SCIENCE / Media Studies
  • SOCIAL SCIENCE / Anthropology / Cultural
  • Culture
  • Knowledge, Sociology of
Label
Cultural science : a natural history of stories, demes, knowledge and innovation, John Hartley and Jason Potts
Instantiates
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Intro1. Curiously Parallel -- The Nature of CulturePart I: Culture Makes Groups2. Externalism -- Identity ('Me' is 'We')3. Demes -- Universal-Adversarial Groupishness ('We' vs 'They')4. Malvoisine -- Bad Neighbours5. Citizens -- Demic Concentration Creates KnowledgePart II: Groups Make Knowledge6. Meaningfulness -- The Growth of Knowledge7. Newness -- Innovation8. Waste -- Reproductive Success9. Extinction -- Resilience and Ossification Part III: Outro10. A Natural History of Demic Concentration AcknowledgementsReferencesIndex
Control code
878224831
Dimensions
25 cm
Extent
252 pages
Isbn
9781849666022
Lccn
2014014855
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Other control number
60001949161
System control number
(OCoLC)878224831
Label
Cultural science : a natural history of stories, demes, knowledge and innovation, John Hartley and Jason Potts
Publication
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Intro1. Curiously Parallel -- The Nature of CulturePart I: Culture Makes Groups2. Externalism -- Identity ('Me' is 'We')3. Demes -- Universal-Adversarial Groupishness ('We' vs 'They')4. Malvoisine -- Bad Neighbours5. Citizens -- Demic Concentration Creates KnowledgePart II: Groups Make Knowledge6. Meaningfulness -- The Growth of Knowledge7. Newness -- Innovation8. Waste -- Reproductive Success9. Extinction -- Resilience and Ossification Part III: Outro10. A Natural History of Demic Concentration AcknowledgementsReferencesIndex
Control code
878224831
Dimensions
25 cm
Extent
252 pages
Isbn
9781849666022
Lccn
2014014855
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Other control number
60001949161
System control number
(OCoLC)878224831

Subject

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