The Evolution of Human Co-operation

Ritual and Social Complexity in Stateless Societies

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Mathematics, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book The Evolution of Human Co-operation by Charles Stanish, Cambridge University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Charles Stanish ISBN: 9781316850664
Publisher: Cambridge University Press Publication: August 3, 2017
Imprint: Cambridge University Press Language: English
Author: Charles Stanish
ISBN: 9781316850664
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication: August 3, 2017
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Language: English

How do people living in small groups without money, markets, police and rigid social classes develop norms of economic and social cooperation that are sustainable over time? This book addresses this fundamental question and explains the origin, structure and spread of stateless societies. Using insights from game theory, ethnography and archaeology, Stanish shows how ritual - broadly defined - is the key. Ritual practices encode elaborate rules of behavior and are ingenious mechanisms of organizing society in the absence of coercive states. As well as asking why and how people choose to co-operate, Stanish also provides the theoretical framework to understand this collective action problem. He goes on to highlight the evolution of cooperation with ethnographic and archaeological data from around of the world. Merging evolutionary game theory concepts with cultural evolutionary theory, this book will appeal to those seeking a transdisciplinary approach to one of the greatest problems in human evolution.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

How do people living in small groups without money, markets, police and rigid social classes develop norms of economic and social cooperation that are sustainable over time? This book addresses this fundamental question and explains the origin, structure and spread of stateless societies. Using insights from game theory, ethnography and archaeology, Stanish shows how ritual - broadly defined - is the key. Ritual practices encode elaborate rules of behavior and are ingenious mechanisms of organizing society in the absence of coercive states. As well as asking why and how people choose to co-operate, Stanish also provides the theoretical framework to understand this collective action problem. He goes on to highlight the evolution of cooperation with ethnographic and archaeological data from around of the world. Merging evolutionary game theory concepts with cultural evolutionary theory, this book will appeal to those seeking a transdisciplinary approach to one of the greatest problems in human evolution.

More books from Cambridge University Press

Cover of the book Darfur's Sorrow by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book Democratization and Research Methods by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book An Introduction to Indian Philosophy by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book Schemes of Arrangement by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book Contemporary Studies on Relationships, Health, and Wellness by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book The Cambridge Companion to Rabelais by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book Modeling in Materials Processing by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book The Relational Subject by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book Essentials of Hamiltonian Dynamics by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book Global Climate Governance Beyond 2012 by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book Analytical Groundwater Mechanics by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book The Future of Europe by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book Reinhold Niebuhr and His Circle of Influence by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book Extraordinary Responsibility by Charles Stanish
Cover of the book The Cambridge Handbook of the Psychology of Aesthetics and the Arts by Charles Stanish
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy