See: Community Building Reading List
Notes about Cultural Evolution by Ronald Inglehart (via Google Bard):
Sure, here is a summary of Cultural Evolution by Ronald Inglehart:
Cultural Evolution argues that people’s values and behavior are shaped by the degree to which survival is secure. For most of history, survival was precarious, which encouraged heavy emphasis on group solidarity, rejection of outsiders, and obedience to strong leaders. However, the unprecedented prosperity and security of the postwar era brought cultural change, the environmentalist movement, and the spread of democracy.
Inglehart’s Evolutionary Modernization theory explains these changes as a product of rising existential security. As people’s basic needs are met, they become more concerned with postmaterialist values, such as self-expression, environmentalism, and tolerance. This shift in values leads to changes in behavior, such as increased support for democracy, gender equality, and same-sex marriage.
However, Inglehart also argues that the rise of postmaterialist values can lead to a backlash from those who feel that their traditional values are being threatened. This backlash can manifest itself in authoritarian movements, such as the rise of Donald Trump in the United States.
Cultural Evolution is a comprehensive and ambitious book that provides a new way of understanding the dynamics of cultural change. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of human societies.
Here are some of the key points of the book:
- People’s values and behavior are shaped by the degree to which survival is secure.
- The rise of postmaterialist values is a product of rising existential security.
- Postmaterialist values lead to changes in behavior, such as increased support for democracy, gender equality, and same-sex marriage.
- The rise of postmaterialist values can lead to a backlash from those who feel that their traditional values are being threatened.
Cultural Evolution is a well-researched and thought-provoking book that provides a new way of understanding the dynamics of cultural change. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of human societies.
[Author’s Note: The above text was AI-generated and may not be accurate. The overarching intent behind this blog post is to provide a starting point for discussions among aspiring community builders. Just as startup founders can benefit from startup oriented content (such as those provided by accelerators and incubators), community builders can benefit from community building oriented content. If you are an aspiring community builder, please contribute to the discussion by commenting on this post]