The theories of cultural evolution primarily describe how human cultures change and develop over time. There are two major forms of cultural evolution theory.
Understanding Cultural Evolution
Cultural evolution is a concept used to explain how societies and cultures develop and transform across generations. Unlike biological evolution, which is driven by genes, cultural evolution is driven by the transmission of information, ideas, behaviors, and technologies through learning and social interaction. This process leads to changes in cultural traits within a population over time.
The Two Major Theories of Cultural Evolution
According to the provided reference, there are two main theoretical approaches to understanding cultural evolution:
Unilinear Evolutionism
- Definition: This was the original cultural evolutionism theory.
- Core Idea: Proposes that all societies follow a single, predetermined path of development, progressing through the same stages (e.g., from savagery to barbarism to civilization).
- Status Today: It is now widely considered debunked by modern anthropology due to its ethnocentric biases and failure to account for the diversity of human cultural trajectories.
- Example: Early unilinear theorists might have suggested that all societies must develop agriculture before they can develop complex political systems, regardless of environmental or historical factors.
Multilinear Evolutionism
- Definition: This is the more modern view of cultural evolution.
- Core Idea: Argues that different societies can evolve along multiple paths, adapting to their specific environments, technologies, and historical circumstances. There is no single, universal trajectory for all cultures.
- Status Today: It is still considered relevant in anthropology today, providing a more flexible and nuanced framework for understanding cultural change.
- Example: Multilinear evolution recognizes that some societies might develop complex fishing economies in coastal environments without ever practicing agriculture, or that different forms of social organization can arise in different ecological settings.
Comparing the Two
| Feature | Unilinear Evolutionism | Multilinear Evolutionism |
|---|---|---|
| Path of Development | Single, universal path | Multiple, diverse paths |
| Status Today | Widely debunked | Still relevant in anthropology |
| Focus | Universal stages of progress | Adaptation to specific conditions |
| View of Cultures | Hierarchical (some more "advanced") | Diverse (different adaptations, not necessarily "better" or "worse") |
In summary, while the original idea of a single evolutionary path for all cultures (unilinear evolutionism) has been discarded, the concept of cultural evolution as a process of change and adaptation (multilinear evolutionism) remains a valuable framework in understanding human societies.
