PSYC14H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Norbert Elias, List Of Domesticated Animals, Fertile Crescent
25 May 2018
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Chapter 3: Cultural Evolution
Introduction!
-manners differ across cultures — Asians take off shoes, Westerners don’t!
-Norbert Elias — Western Europe was transformed as manners of aristocracy slowly trickled
down to govern the behaviour of lower classes as well, causing people to become civilized
with these new rules; e.g. blow nose into handkerchief only !
-manners changed over time because people’s views of what’s healthy have changed — in
the past, it was unhealthy to not spit or fart but now it’s not healthy to do it in public !
-cultures change — behaviour from past is different now, constantly evolving !
Where Does Cultural Variation Come From? !
Ecological and Geographical Variation!
-different environments affect the ways people live their lives — e.g. no large indigenous
mammals in Hawaii so no hunting traditions; food changes the foraging behaviours, types of
societies developed, and values people have; e.g. cultural variation in gender roles - harsher
environments, scarcer resources, manhood is the goal !
Small Differences Can Have Large Effects!
-e.g. Pizarro’s small army was able to defeat Incan Atahuallpa’s large army !
-proximal causes — have direct, immediate relations with their effects; Pizarro’s people had
political organization, steel weapons, horses, Incans were divided because of smallpox !
-distal causes — initial differences that lead to effects over long periods, through indirect
relations; there were geographic differences in Eurasia and Americas - they had the Fertile
Crescent, which allowed them to have agriculture, domestic species, weapons, and since
they lived with animals, they became immune to the diseases that infected the Americans !
-cultural differences in ways of thinking can be influenced by geography — in China, you
need teamwork to do rice farming so people cooperate whereas wheat farming doesn’t
require much cooperation so they aren’t interdependent thinkers !
Transmitted vs. Evoked Culture !
-cultural variation can also arise because of learning from other individuals !
-evoked culture — all people have certain biologically encoded behavioural repertoires that
are potentially accessible to them and engaged when the appropriate situational conditions
are present; e.g. we’re all capable of acting intimidating when our kids threatened !
-e.g. importance of physical attractiveness in choosing mate — we think it’s bc ancestors
thought attractive people were healthy; in environment with parasite threats, people choose
the most attractive (healthy) mates but not necessarily in place with no threat !
-transmitted culture — people come to learn about particular cultural practices through
social learning or by modelling those around them; e.g. if you see your neighbour watering
#1
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Document Summary
Manners di er across cultures asians take o shoes, westerners don"t. Norbert elias western europe was transformed as manners of aristocracy slowly trickled down to govern the behaviour of lower classes as well, causing people to become civilized with these new rules; e. g. blow nose into handkerchief only. Manners changed over time because people"s views of what"s healthy have changed in the past, it was unhealthy to not spit or fart but now it"s not healthy to do it in public. Cultures change behaviour from past is di erent now, constantly evolving. E. g. pizarro"s small army was able to defeat incan atahuallpa"s large army. Proximal causes have direct, immediate relations with their e ects; pizarro"s people had political organization, steel weapons, horses, incans were divided because of smallpox. Distal causes initial di erences that lead to e ects over long periods, through indirect relations; there were geographic di erences in eurasia and americas - they had the fertile.
