Darwinizing culture : the status of memetics as a science / edited by Robert Aunger ; with a foreword by Daniel Dennett.

Chapter 4: Culture and psychological mechanisms

This chapter talks about the science of culture as being a form of universal Darwinism--that is, that culture is subject to variation and evolves when certain variants are selected and preserved until another later variation. Culture is a creation of human minds, which learn associatively, therefore understanding culture requires a scientific understanding of how culture is spread. This is where memetics comes in. However, one problem is that there is no authoritative theory about the transfer of culture, so natural science is at somewhat of a loss. The chapter goes into some detail about the relationship between the definition of culture and the science of culture. The less agreement in the science, the more important definitions become, otherwise everyone is essentially speaking a different language. For memetics, the definition of copying is particularly important. How faithful to the original must something be to be considered a copy? Is imitation transmission, or is learning transmission? Imitaton, learning, and acquisition are all different kinds of copies. Plotkin rejects the definition of a meme as something passed on by imitation for four reasons: defining a meme as imitation is an oversimplification, requiring a meme to be imitable is unclear, assuming thats imitation leads to greater copyinig fidelity is just wrong, and requiring high copying fidelity ignores the natural variation that causes memes to evolve. The last point mentioned is the distinction between surface memes and deep memes. A surface meme, although dependent on larger memes for context, is narrow in scope, such as believing a certain store has the lowest prices around (obviously that could change if another store undercuts them one day.) A deep meme is a higher knowledge structure, usually embedded somehow in the culture itself.

The author's approach to the topic seems more to correct misinformation than define things concretely. In doing this he is perhaps leaving the door open for more discourse on how to define the term 'meme' and the science of culture. The chapter seems more like a philosophical piece than a scientific piece, but as he says, that is basically the current state of memetics.

Darwinizing culture : the status of memetics as a science / edited by Robert Aunger ; with a foreword by Daniel Dennett. [0192632442 ] Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2000.
Call#: Van Pelt Library HM1041 .D37 2000

Culture of the Internet / edited by Sara Kiesler.

Chapter 7: Constructions and Reconstructions of Self in Virtual Reality: Playing in the MUDs

This chapter discuesses the way people deal with the concept of self in virtual worlds through MUDs (Multiuser Dimensions). These MUDs are in part creations of their users, who may design their characters (name, gender, species, physical attributes) as well as the "rooms" of the dungeons themselves. They are free to experiment with identity and often choose to do so. Interactions between players parallel and sometimes overlap with or substitute for real life. One example looks at a Yale dropout who used a role playing game as a form of therapy. Her mother disowned her after she had an abortion, and through role playing, the daughter was able to understand and come to terms with what happened. Another example describes a physics grad student whose physical health was so fragile that he could not go out normally without putting his life in danger. He spends hours on MUDs socializing with people from across the world. In doing this, he fulfills a need for social interaction that he might otherwise miss out on entirely. In these virtual spaces, players often project their ideal self through their virtual identities. MUDs offer an environment similar to real life and often equally useful for simulating and processing personal issues. In some situtations, they may even serve as something better than reality. Because of the difference between real-life and online social interaction, certain issues, such as sexism and gender roles can be more visible in a MUD, allowing for discussion of such topics. The addition of non-fatal guns to one MUD was another cause for debate. Changing the dynamics of the world (some players wanted to kill for fun) led to debate, virtual laws, and even the election of a virtual sheriff. MUDs demonstrate a certain tension between the real and artificial through which we can reconstruct and examine aspects of our own culture.

The author seems particularly biased toward MUDs, probably due to his research methods: joining and participating in various MUDs. The examples she uses focus a little heavy on the fringe of society rather than the average person who happens to participate in a MUD. This suggests that the correlation between MUD culture and real-life culture is limited.

If being a part of a community, such as a MUD gives people another means of expressing who they are or defining themselves, then so too might their preferences in memes be a means of expression.

Culture of the Internet / edited by Sara Kiesler. [0805816356 (alk. paper) ] Mahwah, N.J. : Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1997.
Call#: Van Pelt Library HE7631 .S613 1997

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Darwinizing culture : the status of memetics as a science / edited by Robert Aunger ; with a foreword by Daniel Dennett.

Culture of the Internet / edited by Sara Kiesler.