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Bifocal stance theory, the transmission metaphor, and institutional reality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2022

Martin J. Packer Open the ORCID record for Martin J. Packer [Opens in a new window]  and
Michael Cole
Martin J. Packer
Affiliation:
Independent Researcher, Bogotá, Colombia mpacker@cantab.net independentscholar.academia.edu/MartinPacker
Michael Cole
Affiliation:
Department of Communication, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0503, USA mcole@ucsd.edu http://lchc.ucsd.edu/Mike
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Abstract

Biologists have replaced the metaphor of “genetic transmission” with a detailed account of the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenomenon which Darwin referred to as “like produces like.” Cultural evolution theorists, in contrast, continue to appeal to “imitation” or “copying.” The notion of ritual and instrumental stances does not resolve this issue, and ignores the institutions in which people live.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 45 , 2022 , e264
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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