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Culture as an aggregate of individual differences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2014

Kyungil Kim ,
Joonghwan Jeon  and
Youngjun Park
Kyungil Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Ajou University, Woncheon-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Korea443-749. [email protected]://ajou.ac.kr/[email protected]
Joonghwan Jeon
Affiliation:
Humanitas College, Kyung Hee University, Yongin, Korea446-701. [email protected]
Youngjun Park
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Ajou University, Woncheon-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Korea443-749. [email protected]://ajou.ac.kr/[email protected]
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Abstract

We question Smaldino's argument that culture plays the active role of maintaining and transmitting social organizations of differentiated individuals. Culture is an aggregate of individual differences in psychological variables within and between groups; it was not designed by group-level selection to maintain the structured organization of individuals. We conclude that Smaldino fails to present the crucial mechanism by which group-level traits are maintained, transmitted, and evolve.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 37 , Issue 3 , June 2014 , pp. 262 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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