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"Galton's Asset" and "Flower's Problem Cultural Networks and Cultural Units in Cross‐Cultural Research Ml (Or, Male Genital Mutilations and Polygyny in Cross‐Cultural Perspective)
Author(s) -
Korotayev Andrey,
Munck Victor De
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
american anthropologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1548-1433
pISSN - 0002-7294
DOI - 10.1525/aa.2003.105.2.353
Subject(s) - galton's problem , ethnography , perspective (graphical) , sociology , construct (python library) , epistemology , asset (computer security) , anthropology , cultural analysis , cultural anthropology , philosophy , computer science , computer security , artificial intelligence , programming language , machine learning
Edward Tylor had envisioned anthropology to be comprised of ethnology and ethnography in equal parts, but today ethnography dominates the field. In this paper, we examine two reasons for the refugee status of ethnology. First, we look at the notorious "Galton effect." Second, we examine the problem of defining and using cultural units, particularly when positivistic and static theories and methods of culture have been largely discredited by anthropology. We argue against any formulaic solutions to these problems and show that for each research question one needs to reconsider the criteria for how to construct cultural units and how to ensure that the cultures under study are not merely replicas of one another. We show that previous solutions to these issues are limited because they fail to appreciate the contingent and multidimensional nature of culture. We also argue that, instead of a "Galton problem," there is actually a "Galton asset," which can be used to study historical and emergent communicative networks. [Keywords: cross–cultural research, Galton problem, cultural units, methods and theory]