Cultural Science: A Natural History of Stories, Demes, Knowledge and Innovation
Cultural Science introduces a new way of thinking about culture. Adopting an evolutionary and systems approach, the authors argue that culture is the population-wide source of newness and innovation; it faces the future, not the past. Its chief characteristic is the formation of groups or 'deme...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Book |
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Bloomsbury Publishing
2014
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| Online Access: | http://www.bloomsbury.com/au/cultural-science-9781849666046/ http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/47439 |
| _version_ | 1848757833561014272 |
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| author | Hartley, John Potts, J. |
| author_facet | Hartley, John Potts, J. |
| author_sort | Hartley, John |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Cultural Science introduces a new way of thinking about culture. Adopting an evolutionary and systems approach, the authors argue that culture is the population-wide source of newness and innovation; it faces the future, not the past. Its chief characteristic is the formation of groups or 'demes' (organised and productive subpopulation; 'demos'). Demes are the means for creating, distributing and growing knowledge. However, such groups are competitive and knowledge-systems are adversarial. The book argues for interdisciplinary 'consilience', linking evolutionary and complexity theory in the natural sciences, economics and anthropology in the social sciences, and cultural, communication and media studies in the humanities and creative arts. It describes what is needed for a new 'modern synthesis' for the cultural sciences. It combines analytical and historical methods, to provide a framework for a general reconceptualisation of the theory of culture – one that is focused not on its political or customary aspects but rather its evolutionary significance as a generator of newness and innovation. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:34:23Z |
| format | Book |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-47439 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:34:23Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-474392017-01-30T15:33:17Z Cultural Science: A Natural History of Stories, Demes, Knowledge and Innovation Hartley, John Potts, J. Cultural Science introduces a new way of thinking about culture. Adopting an evolutionary and systems approach, the authors argue that culture is the population-wide source of newness and innovation; it faces the future, not the past. Its chief characteristic is the formation of groups or 'demes' (organised and productive subpopulation; 'demos'). Demes are the means for creating, distributing and growing knowledge. However, such groups are competitive and knowledge-systems are adversarial. The book argues for interdisciplinary 'consilience', linking evolutionary and complexity theory in the natural sciences, economics and anthropology in the social sciences, and cultural, communication and media studies in the humanities and creative arts. It describes what is needed for a new 'modern synthesis' for the cultural sciences. It combines analytical and historical methods, to provide a framework for a general reconceptualisation of the theory of culture – one that is focused not on its political or customary aspects but rather its evolutionary significance as a generator of newness and innovation. 2014 Book http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/47439 http://www.bloomsbury.com/au/cultural-science-9781849666046/ Bloomsbury Publishing restricted |
| spellingShingle | Hartley, John Potts, J. Cultural Science: A Natural History of Stories, Demes, Knowledge and Innovation |
| title | Cultural Science: A Natural History of Stories, Demes, Knowledge and Innovation |
| title_full | Cultural Science: A Natural History of Stories, Demes, Knowledge and Innovation |
| title_fullStr | Cultural Science: A Natural History of Stories, Demes, Knowledge and Innovation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cultural Science: A Natural History of Stories, Demes, Knowledge and Innovation |
| title_short | Cultural Science: A Natural History of Stories, Demes, Knowledge and Innovation |
| title_sort | cultural science: a natural history of stories, demes, knowledge and innovation |
| url | http://www.bloomsbury.com/au/cultural-science-9781849666046/ http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/47439 |