Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id WAA29262 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 24 May 2000 22:03:24 +0100 Message-ID: <392BFCC3.5772C868@mediaone.net> Date: Wed, 24 May 2000 17:01:07 +0100 From: chuck <cpalson@mediaone.net> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.72 [en] (WinNT; I) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: What is "useful"; what is "survival" References: <20000524133054.AAA16112@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
"Wade T.Smith" wrote:
> On 05/24/00 06:49, Vincent Campbell said this-
>
> >(The point about seppuku, was that this is a ritual behaviour that has
> >persisted for many generations explicitly involving suicide- how do you
> >explain it?)
>
> Perhaps with the same breath that explains Clinton's _not_ performing
> such a ceremony in the face of precisely a situation in which the
> nipponese culture would demand it.
>
> Which is to say, there is no simple explanation for the strength of a
> culture or the directions is allows.
>
You missed my point, Wade. The difference is to what extent reputation plays
a role in each society because of ecological conditions. In this country, if
you get a bad reputation in one town, you can simply move to another town or
state, set up residence by showing your bank account, and start anew. Ask
any European who has moved here, and they will tell you they are astonished
by this -- and usually love it (although perhaps academics are out of the
loop). In a land short country like Japan where people must stay in one
place, they don't have that option. That is why the stain generally lasts
and is far more serious than here.
Actually, I should substitute the word land for resources for modern
industrial societies. I have tested this out cross culturally and it has
works every time. This continuum seems to work in the orient also as well
as within the US. I know of no people that relies less on reputation to
evaluate their countrymen, and it is a defining characteristic of our
mentality.
And, yes there are explanations for the strength of *every* cultural traits
because the culture of a people is its tool kit for living, not simply a
pretty thing to wear or eat. Most social scientists simply assume there are
no explanations for certain things and don't try to investigate any further.
Just about everyone on this listserv, for example, believes this as a matter
of faith. The most recent such investigator is Fukuyama who states outright
that 20% of culture is free variation, a figure he pulls out of the air
without being challenged.
>
> - Wade
>
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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