Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id NAA12971 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 26 May 2000 13:20:03 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745879@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: Fri, 26 May 2000 13:18:08 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
You can look as long as you like, but what's that old saying, you only ever
find what you're looking for.
> ----------
> From: chuck
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2000 1:59 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: Re: What is "useful"; what is "survival"
>
>
>
> Vincent Campbell wrote:
>
> > '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!
>
> I have been probing the social sciences with a lot of energy for 4
> decades, so I
> have a pretty good idea of what's out there. It's not an assumption, it's
> actual
> research.
>
> >
> >
> > > ----------
> > > 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
>
>
> ===============================================================
> 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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