Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id LAA04266 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 25 May 2000 11:44:16 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745875@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: What is "useful"; what is "survival" Date: Thu, 25 May 2000 11:42:10 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
'Most social scientists simply assume there are
> no explanations for certain things and don't try to investigate any
> further.'
>
Hmm, nice to see accusations of sweeping assumptions being made, in, oh, a
sweeping assumption!
> ----------
> From: chuck
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2000 5:01 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: What is "useful"; what is "survival"
>
>
>
> "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
> >
> > ===============================================================
> > 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
>
>
> ===============================================================
> 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
>
===============================================================
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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