On Cultural Evolution

Evolution, defined as changes in the organization of living systems that persist for more than one generation, includes change processes on three levels of organization: genetic systems, social systems and ecosystems. Corresponding to these are theories of biological evolution, cultural evolution and ecosystem change. Social systems are affected by all three of these processes, which interact with each other. This chapter will deal primarily with cultural evolution, defined as changes in behavior resulting from changes in behavioral information passed along from one generation to another.