Matches in SemOpenAlex for { <https://semopenalex.org/work/W2907144471> ?p ?o ?g. }
Showing items 1 to 50 of
50
with 100 items per page.
- W2907144471 abstract "The so-called ratchet hypothesis, advanced in the 1990s by developmental and comparative psychologist Michael Tomasello, is the source of one of the most commonly reiterated platitudes surrounding evolutionary explanations of culture. The gradual, ever-increasing (and never decreasing) build-up of knowledge, skills, objects and innovations that accompanies our everyday existence is an unprecedented and unmatched human peculiarity—something that sets us apart from the rest of the biological world. This extraordinary form of culture, which is defined as cumulative, is attained by humans in virtue of our unique capacity to faithfully imitate each other. In this dissertation, I revisit the origins and development of this peculiar and extremely influential argument. I show how the original hypothesis by Tomasello has been progressively simplified and standardized to become an intuitive and extremely prolific (yet ironically not quite accurate) form of orthodoxy in cultural evolution studies and beyond. I then proceed to deconstruct this line of reasoning into its fundamental components: namely, imitation, high fidelity and cumulative culture. The conceptual and historical analysis of each term and of their theoretical connections will show that the simplicity and uniformity of the ratchet argument is only illusory. In reality, this argument allows for a bewildering variety of interpretations—resulting, in fact, in a multiplicity of slightly divergent “ratchet arguments”. My investigation will help to clarify why the argument elicits starkly opposed reactions, from enthusiastic endorsements to categorical dismissals. It may also assist in dispelling several (apparent) long term controversies. As for the reappraisal of the argument’s ultimate significance to evolutionary explanations of cumulative culture, I envisage a very narrow applicability. Of the many ratchet argument interpretations isolated in this work, only a minor proportion have something meaningful to say about the evolution of complex, cumulative cultural phenomena." @default.
- W2907144471 created "2019-01-11" @default.
- W2907144471 creator A5079261112 @default.
- W2907144471 date "2022-03-02" @default.
- W2907144471 modified "2023-09-26" @default.
- W2907144471 title "Is High Fidelity Imitation Necessary for Cumulative Culture? An Analysis of the Ratchet Argument" @default.
- W2907144471 doi "https://doi.org/10.26686/wgtn.19288292" @default.
- W2907144471 hasPublicationYear "2022" @default.
- W2907144471 type Work @default.
- W2907144471 sameAs 2907144471 @default.
- W2907144471 citedByCount "0" @default.
- W2907144471 crossrefType "dissertation" @default.
- W2907144471 hasAuthorship W2907144471A5079261112 @default.
- W2907144471 hasBestOaLocation W29071444711 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConcept C111472728 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConcept C126388530 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConcept C138885662 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConcept C15744967 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConcept C185592680 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConcept C2776372474 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConcept C55493867 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConcept C77805123 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConcept C98184364 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConceptScore W2907144471C111472728 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConceptScore W2907144471C126388530 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConceptScore W2907144471C138885662 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConceptScore W2907144471C15744967 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConceptScore W2907144471C185592680 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConceptScore W2907144471C2776372474 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConceptScore W2907144471C55493867 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConceptScore W2907144471C77805123 @default.
- W2907144471 hasConceptScore W2907144471C98184364 @default.
- W2907144471 hasLocation W29071444711 @default.
- W2907144471 hasLocation W29071444712 @default.
- W2907144471 hasOpenAccess W2907144471 @default.
- W2907144471 hasPrimaryLocation W29071444711 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W1051936649 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W1982149234 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W1993348057 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W1998014306 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W2063448864 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W2254702034 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W2891515399 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W4214877243 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W892365960 @default.
- W2907144471 hasRelatedWork W2112263230 @default.
- W2907144471 isParatext "false" @default.
- W2907144471 isRetracted "false" @default.
- W2907144471 magId "2907144471" @default.
- W2907144471 workType "dissertation" @default.