Pattern and Process in Cultural Evolution / Edition 1

by Stephen Shennan

Overview

This volume offers an integrative approach to the application of evolutionary theory in studies of cultural transmission and social evolution and reveals the enormous range of ways in which Darwinian ideas can lead to productive empirical research, the touchstone of any worthwhile theoretical perspective. While many recent works on cultural evolution adopt a specific theoretical framework, such as dual inheritance theory or human behavioral ecology, Pattern and Process in Cultural Evolution emphasizes empirical analysis and includes authors who employ a range of backgrounds and methods to address aspects of culture from an evolutionary perspective. Editor Stephen Shennan has assembled archaeologists, evolutionary theorists, and ethnographers, whose essays cover a broad range of time periods, localities, cultural groups, and artifacts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520255999
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	03/31/2009
Series:	Origins of Human Behavior and Culture , #2
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Stephen Shennan is Professor of Theoretical Archaeology at University College London and Director of its Institute of Archaeology. He is the author or coauthor of many books, including Genes, Memes, and Human History, and has edited or coedited many additional volumes, including The Evolution of Cultural Diversity.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"The collection is a good one for advanced students or professionals who already have a grasp of the basics of evolutionary anthropology."—Journal of Anthropological Research

Editorial Reviews

The collection is a good one for advanced students or professionals who already have a grasp of the basics of evolutionary anthropology.

Journal Of Anthropological Research - Eric Alden Smith