Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id JAA27446 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 5 Jun 2000 09:40:50 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D31017458A4@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Jabbering ! Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2000 09:38:51 +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
I wouldn't necessarily disagree here.
I think my point was about how memes are now able to utilise other means of
dissemination than just interpersonal communication between humans.
I think once memes "broke free" of that limitation, cultural change could be
come that more rapid, varid, and potentially begin to operate by their own
rules.
The earlier you go back the less there seems to be a need for memes as
cultural behaviours can be more adequately explained as adaptive, and thus
in the sociobiologists/evolutionary psychologists' court.
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Mark M. Mills
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Friday, June 2, 2000 4:00 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: RE: Jabbering !
>
> Vincent,
>
> At 02:48 PM 6/2/00 +0100, you wrote:
> >One key quantitative distinction, I suppose, would be the multiplicity of
> >means through which humans can and do communicate. Other organisms have
> >relatively few, and relatively limited means of communication in
> comparison.
>
> While we modern humans have multiple 'technologies' for communication,
> these are very recent additions.
>
> If memes exist among human culture, wouldn't they exist in technologically
>
> primitive cultures? Wouldn't aboriginal people of the rain forest have
> memes?
>
> As one goes back further in time, technology plays a smaller and smaller
> role in the 'cultural' sphere... family life, finding mates, defending
> territory probably occupy the majority of cultural habits (not that we
> don't do those things, now).
>
> IMHO, social habits express memetic activity regardless the technological
> advances. The technology (media in particular) plays to our inborn memetic
>
> processing styles, but technology does not define the meme. Communication
> technology is a side effect of human memetics, not its foundation.
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
> ===============================================================
> 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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