- [[pure coordination model]], [[game theory]] - [[tight versus loose cultures]] # Idea According to Tylor (1871), culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, and customs. The totality of mental and physical reactions and activities that characterize behavioral responses to environment, others, and to himself (Boaz, 1911). For groups to exist and function well, they need to agree on certain things. They have to be similar in certain ways. One culture might be similar in one way and another culture similar in another way: [[cultures are similar because individuals within one try to coordinate]]; [[different cultures emerge because individuals play multiple coordination games at the same time]]. To understand differences within and across cultures, we have to develop ways to [[measure culture]]. ![[Pasted image 20210608234808.png]] Culture matters because [[cultures define how much mutual trust exists within any given culture]]. ## Model of how similarities and differences arise Individuals want to coordinate, to be consistency, but occasionally they deviate from coordination and consistency (due to errors or innovation). These three factors (coordination, consistency, deviation/error) explains differences across cultures, similarities within cultures, and heterogeneity within cultures. ![[Pasted image 20210609003714.png]] Assume a simple model: two agents, two games, and two actions. ![[Pasted image 20210609003829.png]] We can transition between states but will stop once we reach a certain state ([[Lyapunov functions|Lyapunov process]]) (unlike [[Markov processes]] that keep transitioning forever). But by introducing errors/deviations, we can turn this non-Markovian system into a Markovian one. Small errors/deviations can lead to massive heterogeneity. ![[Pasted image 20210609004227.png]] Features arising from the model - agents can coordinate on "wrong" or sub-optimal actions - agents are just trying to coordinate and maintain consistency - [[culture arises through multiple consistent and coordination games]] - small amounts of innovation/error lead to within-culture heterogeneity - [[Lyapunov functions|Lyapunov process]] and [[Markov processes|Markov models]] help us understand how culture arises - without errors, the system is a [[Lyapunov functions|Lyapunov function]]; with errors, the system becomes [[Markov processes]] # References - https://www.coursera.org/learn/model-thinking/lecture/OJw0I/what-is-culture-and-why-do-we-care - https://www.coursera.org/learn/model-thinking/lecture/Wi4db/coordination-and-consistency