The Cultural Evolution section discusses cultural phenomena in terms of a replicator, the meme, which competes with other memes for human hosts or believers. This section explores the nature of the meme, the relationship between genes and memes, and numerous historical and modern examples of memes. The concept of the meme, like that of the replicator, was first articulated by Richard Dawkins.

Cultural Evolution Contents

Memes as Replicators: You will explore in detail the nature of memes and the aggregates they form, basing your study on the concept of the meme as a replicator.

Memes and Genes: You will examine the relationship between memes and genes, including meme-gene coevolution, memes and genes in opposition, and the social context of memes.

How and Why Memes Spread: Learn the mechanisms of memetic reproduction and the different reproductive strategies employed by different types of memes.

Memetics and Society: Examine the applications of memetic theories to the spread of memes through different types of societies, and study the effects of modern social structure on memetic diversity.

Memes in History: You will examine the roles of memes in three selected historical examples: the spread of Christianity, the Salem witch trials, and the rise of Nazism.

Memes in Popular Culture: Continue your analysis of memes by examining three more examples taken from popular culture: the millennium bug, astrology, and urban legends.

Memes on the Internet: Complete your investigation of memes with a discussion of the internet medium as a highly efficient propagator of memes.

Cultural Evolution Quiz: Challenge yourself with a quiz examining your knowledge of cultural evolution and its mechanisms!