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When is the spread of a cultural trait due to cultural group selection? The case of religious syncretism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2016

Carlos Santana ,
Raj Patel ,
Shereen Chang  and
Michael Weisberg
Carlos Santana
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304. [email protected]@[email protected]@phil.upenn.eduhttp://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg/Home.html
Raj Patel
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304. [email protected]@[email protected]@phil.upenn.eduhttp://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg/Home.html
Shereen Chang
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304. [email protected]@[email protected]@phil.upenn.eduhttp://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg/Home.html
Michael Weisberg
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304. [email protected]@[email protected]@phil.upenn.eduhttp://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg/Home.html
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Abstract

The reproduction of cultural systems in cases where cultural group selection may occur is typically incomplete, with only certain cultural traits being adopted by less successful cultural groups. Why a particular trait and not another is transmitted might not be explained by cultural group selection. We explore this issue through the case of religious syncretism.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 39 , 2016 , e50
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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References

Madsen, W. (1967) Religious syncretism. In: Handbook of Middle American Indians, vol. 6, ed. Wauchope, R., pp. 369–91. University of Texas Press.Google Scholar
Watanabe, J. M. (1990) From saints to shibboleths: Image, structure, and identity in Maya religious syncretism. American Ethnologist 17(1):131–50.Google Scholar