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Cultural Evolution

Understanding societal shifts through survival and security

Ronald F Inglehart author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:4th Apr '19

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Cultural Evolution cover

The book explores how societal changes, like the rise of environmentalist parties and same-sex marriage, relate to survival security and modernization.

This insightful work is designed for a general audience, exploring a compelling theory that sheds light on the motivations behind significant societal changes. It delves into the rise of environmentalist parties, the push for gender equality, and the acceptance of same-sex marriage, while also examining the backlash that contributed to events like Brexit and the election of Donald Trump. The author argues that the stability of survival influences people's values and behaviors, with historical contexts shaping our responses to societal challenges.

Throughout most of history, survival was precarious, fostering a strong emphasis on group cohesion, a distrust of outsiders, and a tendency to follow authoritative figures. In times of extreme scarcity, such as when resources are limited, xenophobia can become a survival strategy. The book contrasts this with periods of existential security, where openness to diversity and new ideas flourishes. The postwar era, marked by unprecedented prosperity, is presented as a time of significant cultural transformation, leading to progressive movements and democratic ideals.

However, the narrative shifts in recent decades as job security has waned and inequality has risen, prompting a resurgence of authoritarian tendencies. Drawing on evidence from over 100 countries, the book illustrates how the degree of existential security directly correlates with societal motivations and behaviors, providing a fresh, empirically-supported perspective on modernization theory and its implications for contemporary issues.

'This book is the product of an extremely ambitious project - ambitious in terms of the broad scope of the various aspects of society that its theoretical insights purport to explain, but also in terms of the range of the social science disciplines that are swept up and integrated into this 'Evolutionary Modernization theory'. One could even regard this enterprise as striving towards what would be the equivalent of 'unified field theory' in physics. What Chutzpah! And what a burden of proof such an ambitious enterprise would face. Remarkably, Inglehart succeeds in this demanding task, the ultimate product of which I regard as one of the most important works in the social sciences in decades.' Richard Gunther, Ohio State University
'Cultural Evolution culminates a remarkably productive half-century's exploration of cultural change by Ronald F. Inglehart. This renowned scholar now extends the reach of his theory to global history, while honing his concepts to dissect, for example, the emergence of right-wing populism and LGBTQ activism. This is Inglehart at his most ambitious and most astute. It is a powerful book.' Robert D. Putnam, Harvard University, Massachusetts
'Cultural Evolution is an intellectual tour-de-force. Drawing on insights from years of research in societies representing ninety percent of the world's population, the renowned political scientist Ronald F. Inglehart traces the most important changes taking place across the globe - the shift from Materialist to Postmaterialist values. His brilliant new Evolutionary Modernization theory explains changes in religion, conflict, gender equality, democracy, happiness, among other phenomena, through the same parsimonious scientific lens. It is a fantastic read for anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of culture change.' Michele Gelfand, University of Maryland
'This timely book will certainly become one of the most significant books of the first part of this century - every library should have a copy.' J. S. Taylor, Choice
'Inglehart is one of the last great postwar exponents of modernization theory, which sees economic development as leading to shifts in society toward liberal democracy.' G. John Ikenberry, Foreign Affairs
'Cultural Evolution may be one of the three greatest books ever written in the category 'Optimistic Accounts of Change in Public Opinion.' … Life may generally be short, harsh, and exploitive, but the values transitions documented by Inglehart suggest that there are viable avenues for social improvement.' Samuel Cohn, American Journal of Sociology
'Inglehart seeks to reach beyond the scholarly audience. To do so, he eschews presenting the daunting array of statistical estimates that are the norm for such analyses. Instead, the extensive evidence is presented through well crafted figures that are self-sufficient in conveying the hypothesis at hand, the array of nations being examined, and the results obtained. Further, he eschews 'academes' for clarity. The result is a spare, accessible, masterful, and elegant book.' George E. Marcus, Political Science Quarterly

ISBN: 9781108464772

Dimensions: 228mm x 151mm x 16mm

Weight: 380g

291 pages