The effect of environmental factors on the rates of cultural developments

Abstract

Progress in social and cultural life is initiated by a small group of individuals, who do not follow the socially accepted habits, patterns of behavior, or ideas. Such individuals may be conveniently called nonconformists. The rate of cultural progress depends largely on their number. This number is partly determined by purely biological factors, which result in a certain fraction of individuals being born with the necessary predisposition. Partly, it is determined by the circumstance that the progeny of nonconformists is reared and educated in nonconformist behavior. This latter process requires the possibility for the existing nonconformists to gather together and to form semi-closed social groups. This, in turn, depends to a large extent on the rate of urbanization of the population, which is affected by various environmental factors.

Mathematical expressions are developed which show how these different environmental factors affect the growth of the number of nonconformists, and thus affect the rate of cultural changes. Some very general comparisons with known facts indicate the possibility of future applications of the theory.

The principal result of the study is the fact that social groups with identical biological characteristics may show a great difference in cultural development due to differences in environment.