Designing cultural multilevel selection research for sustainability science

Sustainability Science
Michelle Ann KlineJonathan Salerno

Abstract

Humans stand out among animals in that we cooperate in large groups to exploit natural resources, and accumulate resource exploitation techniques across generations via cultural learning. This uniquely human form of adaptability is in large part to blame for the global sustainability crisis. This paper builds on cultural evolutionary theory to conceptualize and study environmental resource use and overexploitation. Human social learning and cooperation, particularly regarding social dilemmas, result in both sustainability crises and solutions. Examples include the collapse of global fisheries, and multilateral agreements to halt ozone depletion. We propose an explicitly evolutionary approach to study how crises and solutions may emerge, persist, or disappear. We first present a brief primer on cultural evolution to define group-level cultural adaptations for resource use. This includes criteria for identifying where group-level cultural adaptations may exist, and if a cultural evolutionary approach can be implemented in studying a given system. We then outline a step-by-step process for designing a study of group-level cultural adaptation, including the major methodological considerations that researchers should address in stud...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 18, 2019·PloS One·Stefan GehrigPeter Hammerstein
Nov 29, 2020·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·James Holland JonesAnne C Pisor
Oct 1, 2021·The Behavioral and Brain Sciences·Dustin Eirdosh, Susan Hanisch

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