Nothing else matters: Evolution of preference for social prestige

Abstract

This paper seeks answers to two questions. First, if a greater social activity of an individual enhances oblique (i.e. to non-relatives) transmission of her cultural traits at the expense of vertical (i.e. to children) transmission as well as family size, which behavior is optimal from cultural evolution standpoint? I formalize a general model that characterizes evolutionarily stable behaviors. The proposed model replicates the theory of Newson et al. (2007) that fertility decline is caused by increasing role of oblique cultural transmission. Second, if social activity is a rational choice rather than a culturally inherited trait, and if cultural transmission acts on preferences rather than behaviors, which preferences survive the process of cultural evolution? I arrive at a very simple yet powerful result: under mild assumptions on model structure, only preferences which emphasize exclusively the concern for social prestige, i.e. extent to which one's cultural trait has been picked up by others, survive.

Endogenous growth and demographic transition in a model of cultural transmission

“…In that line of research, individuals undertake costly effort to prevent own children from being "lost" to other cultural types, rather than to attract followers from other cultural types. The two approaches, by Zakharenko (2013a) and by Bisin and Verdier (2001), as well as a combination of both, yield similar qualitative results in a model that follows. We use the first approach due to its better mathematical tractability.…”

“…While the theoretical link between fertility and cultural transmission patterns has already been discussed in Newson et al (2007) and Zakharenko (2013a), this paper goes beyond and also explains the trend in the other element of demographic transition, namely declining mortality. Additionally, the pattern of cultural transmission is endogenized, which helps to explain why the demographic transition has happened only recently in human history.…”

“…When the chance of picking up culture from outside is increased, another cultural traits, prescribing lower fertility, dominate. Zakharenko (2013a) formalizes the idea in a model.…”

“…The cultural transmission process is elaborated from Zakharenko (2013a). Every individual is born to parent(s) of a specific cultural type, chooses her own cultural type immediately after birth, and belongs to that cultural type throughout lifetime.…”

Dead men tell no tales: the role of cultural transmission in demographic change

“…Newson et al (2007) explains lower fertility by less cultural influence from within community and more such influence from outside. Ihara and Feldman (2004) and Zakharenko (2016b) propose models in which lower fertility enables individuals to achieve higher social status, meaning that their way of life will be more imitated. Zakharenko (2016a) proposes an endogenous growth theory, in which rising population density increases the frequency of oblique cultural transmission, which in turn leads to natural selection of cultures prescribing their members to attempt becoming notable by means of making technological innovations.…”