Spring 2013 Philosophy of Culture Practice Exam Questions
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What are "memes" and how might meme theory account for cultural ideas? Identify some potential criticisms of meme theory. (2 paragraphs)
Luna Lovegood
Meme theory revolves around the idea of spreading ideas, practices, beliefs, etc in a culture from person to person. In this way, a meme is sort of "created" and is picked up by others and continues in a snowball effect. This idea or practice generally diffuses in a culture due to fitness or something of the sort. This can also be picked up by other cultures in an across-the-border diffusion, which can commonly be seen in areas such as American pop culture and fast food. A criticism may be that this is not a scientifically explained phenomenon and these "memes" don't hold "fitness" like real genes do. These memes are generally looked upon as the cultural dimension of genes, when the science isn't there to support that correlation. Memes don't undergo natural selection.
ABC
Meme theory is the idea that culture has a life of its own. Culture develops from a collection of memes that advance on their own. Memes infect you like a virus, or that is the analogy used anyways. A meme is an idea that develops and then turns beneficial somehow, which is then how it continues in our society. Like the example of music, it may have started from just a nervous tick. A guy taps a log, and then it becomes infectious and mnay people start doing it. Then one day people start to realize that it is pleasurable to make these noises, then fast forward and being good at music has now become something that will help you attract a mate. Potential criticisms of the meme theory are that it doesn't allow for the idea of us developing our own culture, it's for the most part unintentional.
(No Name)
A meme is the information we receive, the "how to" in a question. They pass down from each generation by imitating information by practice. Although they are not like genes that are passed down perfectly to the next generation. Instead the agent may choose certain parts of the meme to keep. This meme theory accounts for cultural ideas by passing down different cultural aspects to the next generation. Memes also focus on one self by applying the question "qui bono" who benefits?
Harry Potter
The idea of memes is centered around the theory that rather than human genetic traits being selected for, causing evolution over time, that ideas and concepts and abstract cultural phenomenons are selected for, causing evolution over time. Like genetic traits, certain "memes" will last longer, develop, and flourish, while others will fade away from the culture. The analogy to genetics implies that certain "memes" help us as a species more than others do, like genes, and those are the memes that "survive" or last over time in human culture.
An example of a "meme" might be Evolutionist theory, the idea of global warming, the popularity of a particular phrase such as "YOLO", or even a fashion trend like North Face jackets. These are all cultural ideas and things that are spread among societies - some of them catching fire and lasting for years and being taken for scientific truths (like genes that promote fitness and stick around), while others do not endure as strongly, like the fashion trend that is "in" one season and "out" the next.
One criticism of this "meme" theory is that its analogy to genetics and fitness is not equal enough. There are many things about genetics that can't be explained by meme theory, such as gene mutations.
Mary Poppins
Memes are small cultural behaviors that come together to form one culture. The behaviors are constantly evolving and over time allow a culture's ideas and beliefs to change.
A criticism of meme theory is that memes are not directly related to genetics.
Michelangelo
Memes are the social congruent of genes. They are the means by which cultural ideas are passed from one generation or group to another. Meme theory argues that these cultural ideas are either passed on, and always with some sort of variation, or are not passed on and die out. There are selection pressures for memes, just as there are selection pressures for our genetics, and these include cultural norms which have already been passed on earlier. Some criticisms of meme theory include stuff.
The Lone Ranger
Memes are basically the different aspects of culture. They are like the genes of culture. Meme theory would say that a person's memes are unique to that person. The memes of a person work to make up that person's culture. Memes are the biggest influence in a person's views on culture, both their own and other cultures. These memes are what make a person's culture and also what influences their thoughts on other cultures. Memes, just like genes, are under pressure to survive. The good survive and the bad memes will eventually die out. Some criticisms of meme theory could have something to do with people being more towards scientific theory. Memes are able to come back after being extinct.
Pocahontas
We can view culture as a collection of memes. Memes are the informational equivalent to "how to's." The are the guidelines for social/cultural norms. Memes dictate the way a culture evolves; they do not reproduce faithfully or consistently.
Athos
Memes are cultural genes that are passed on from generation to generation. Meme theory describes culture as a kind of virus which infects its host in order to pass on its genetic legacy. A common example would be music. Music is costly, and serves no purpose and yet it thrives in human culture. According to meme theory, music is a meme which has infected humans and therefore flourishes in modern culture. In this way, meme theory can explain many cultural practices, especially artistic ones that may not necessarily be beneficial to the host.
Meme theory is certainly interesting, and serves as a very creative solution to a complex problem but it is very abstract. The association between cultural practices and genes is very loose. This theory may help us think about culture in a new way, but there are certainly other reasons behind culture.
Regina George
Memes are facets of information, practice, or tradition that make up culture. Like biological genes in a body, memes make up culture. In order for something to be a meme, an idea must be transferred and accepted for it to be successful. The problem with meme theory is that people in positions of privilege have the most power when monitoring what, when, and which ideas are being communicated. This is a problem because usually those privileged powers assert "universal memes" that aren't true for marginalized groups.
Kevin Garnett
Dawkins originally came up with this theory of cultural memes which essentially says that culture is just a collection of memes, or different types of information that encode or describe the aspects of culture. He also claimed that memes are similar to genes because they are the stepping-stones to the make-up of a culture and they vary immensely just like genes within a human. A cultural meme could be something that illustrates music or fashion within a specific culture. However, these cultural memes as described by Dawkins theory can be criticized because they are under selection pressure. And it is unknown whether or not these characteristics are random or not.
