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Culturgen (culture + -gen) is a term used to denote a theoretical 'unit' of culture or cultural evolution. More specifically, analogous to a gene, it is a cultural artifact or element of behaviour whose repetition or reproduction is transmissible from one generation to the next. It has largely been displaced by the similar term meme.^[1]

The term was coined in 1980 by two American scientists—the biomathematician Charles J. Lumsden and the sociobiologist E. O. Wilson^[2]—in a controversial attempt to analyse cultural evolution by using techniques borrowed from population genetics, to develop a comprehensive theory of how genes interact with cultural variation,^[3] and to infer a theory of the evolution of the human mind.

The fullest exposition of their theory appeared in their book Genes, Mind, and Culture: The Coevolutionary Process (1981),^[4]^[5] which expanded upon the agenda that Wilson had laid out in Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975) and On Human Nature (1978). In the book, the two assume that culturgens are stored in long-term memory, are readily observable in the external world, and are to be transmitted via socialization.^[3] Genes, Mind, and Culture received many highly negative reviews in the scientific press, however;^[4]^[5] it was re-issued in 2005 with a review of subsequent developments.^[6]

It also effectively means much the same as the older term cultural trait used by anthropologists, and offers similar difficulties of identification and definition. The term has declined in popularity; the slightly older term meme—coined by Richard Dawkins in his book The Selfish Gene (1976)—is now used in its stead,^[1] almost universally (even by Wilson in his later writings).^{[citation needed]}

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b "Culturgen". Lexico Dictionaries. Retrieved 2021-03-15.^{[dead link]}
^ Lumsden, Charles J., and E. O. Wilson. 1980. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 77(4382).
^ ^a ^b Bell, Adrian, and Peter Richerson. 2008. "Review - Charles J. Lumsden and Edward O. Wilson, Genes, Mind, and Culture: 25th Anniversary Edition." Journal of Bioeconomics 10:307–14. doi:10.307-314.10.1007/s10818-008-9041-x.
^ ^a ^b Lumsden, Charles J., and E. O. Wilson. 1982. "The ‘Culturgen’: Science or Science Fiction?" Behavioral and Brain Sciences 5(1):12–13. doi:10.1017/S0140525X00010190.
^ ^a ^b William, B. J. 1982. "Have We a Darwin of Biocultural Evolution? [PDF]." American Anthropologist 84:848–52. [Review of Genes, Mind, and Culture: The Coevolutionary Process].
^ Lumsden, Charles J., and E. O. Wilson. 2005. Genes, Mind, And Culture: The Coevolutionary Process (25th Anniversary ed.). Singapore: World Scientific. Google Books.

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 {{short description|Term used to denote a unit of culture}}
-'''Culturgen''' (''culture'' + ''-gen'') is a term used to denote a theoretical 'unit' of [[culture]] or [[cultural evolution]]. More specifically, analogous to a [[gene]], it is a [[cultural artifact]] or element of behaviour whose repetition or reproduction is transmissible from one [[generation]]. It has largely been displaced by the similar term ''[[meme]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Culturgen|url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/culturgen|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Lexico Dictionaries|language=en}}{{dead link|date=September 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
+'''Culturgen''' (''culture'' + ''-gen'') is a term used to denote a theoretical 'unit' of [[culture]] or [[cultural evolution]]. More specifically, analogous to a [[gene]], it is a [[cultural artifact]] or element of behaviour whose repetition or reproduction is transmissible from one [[generation]] to the next. It has largely been displaced by the similar term ''[[meme]]''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Culturgen|url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/culturgen|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Lexico Dictionaries|language=en}}{{dead link|date=September 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
-The term was coined in 1980 by two [[United States|American]] scientists—the [[mathematical biology|biomathematician]] [[Charles J. Lumsden]] and the [[Sociobiology|sociobiologist]] [[E. O. Wilson]]<ref>Lumsden, Charles J., and E. O. Wilson. 1980. ''[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA]]'' 77(4382).</ref>—in a controversial attempt to analyse [[sociocultural evolution|cultural evolution]] by using techniques borrowed from [[population genetics]], to develop a comprehensive theory of how genes interact with [[cultural variation]],<ref name=":1">Bell, Adrian, and Peter Richerson. 2008. "[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23636652_Charles_J_Lumsden_and_Edward_O_Wilson_Genes_Mind_and_Culture_25th_Anniversary_Edition Review - Charles J. Lumsden and Edward O. Wilson, Genes, Mind, and Culture: 25th Anniversary Edition]." ''Journal of Bioeconomics'' 10:307–14. {{doi|10.307-314.10.1007/s10818-008-9041-x}}.</ref> and to [[Inference|infer]] a theory of evolution of the human mind.
+The term was coined in 1980 by two [[United States|American]] scientists—the [[mathematical biology|biomathematician]] [[Charles J. Lumsden]] and the [[Sociobiology|sociobiologist]] [[E. O. Wilson]]<ref>Lumsden, Charles J., and E. O. Wilson. 1980. ''[[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA]]'' 77(4382).</ref>—in a controversial attempt to analyse [[sociocultural evolution|cultural evolution]] by using techniques borrowed from [[population genetics]], to develop a comprehensive theory of how genes interact with [[cultural variation]],<ref name=":1">Bell, Adrian, and Peter Richerson. 2008. "[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23636652_Charles_J_Lumsden_and_Edward_O_Wilson_Genes_Mind_and_Culture_25th_Anniversary_Edition Review - Charles J. Lumsden and Edward O. Wilson, Genes, Mind, and Culture: 25th Anniversary Edition]." ''Journal of Bioeconomics'' 10:307–14. {{doi|10.307-314.10.1007/s10818-008-9041-x}}.</ref> and to [[Inference|infer]] a theory of the evolution of the human mind.
-The fullest exposition of their theory appeared in their book ''Genes, Mind, and Culture: The Coevolutionary Process'' (1981),<ref name=":2">Lumsden, Charles J., and E. O. Wilson. 1982. "The ‘Culturgen’: Science or Science Fiction?" ''[[Behavioral and Brain Sciences]]'' 5(1):12–13. {{doi|10.1017/S0140525X00010190}}.</ref><ref name=":3">William, B. J. 1982. "[https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1525/aa.1982.84.4.02a00080 Have We a Darwin of Biocultural Evolution?] [PDF]." ''American Anthropologist'' 84:848–52. [Review of ''Genes, Mind, and Culture: The Coevolutionary Process''].</ref> which expanded upon the agenda that Wilson had laid out in his ''[[Sociobiology: The New Synthesis]]'' (1975) and ''[[On Human Nature]]'' (1978). In the book, the two assume that culturgens are stored in [[long-term memory]] or are readily observable in the [[external world]], and are to be transmitted via [[socialization]].<ref name=":1" /> ''Genes, Mind, and Culture'' received many highly negative reviews in the scientific press, however;<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> it was re-issued in 2005 with a review of subsequent developments.<ref>Lumsden, Charles J., and E. O. Wilson. 2005. ''Genes, Mind, And Culture: The Coevolutionary Process'' (25th Anniversary ed.). Singapore: World Scientific. [https://books.google.com/books?id=VOXICgAAQBAJ&dq=Culturgen&pg=PA384 Google Books].</ref>
+The fullest exposition of their theory appeared in their book ''Genes, Mind, and Culture: The Coevolutionary Process'' (1981),<ref name=":2">Lumsden, Charles J., and E. O. Wilson. 1982. "The ‘Culturgen’: Science or Science Fiction?" ''[[Behavioral and Brain Sciences]]'' 5(1):12–13. {{doi|10.1017/S0140525X00010190}}.</ref><ref name=":3">William, B. J. 1982. "[https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1525/aa.1982.84.4.02a00080 Have We a Darwin of Biocultural Evolution?] [PDF]." ''American Anthropologist'' 84:848–52. [Review of ''Genes, Mind, and Culture: The Coevolutionary Process''].</ref> which expanded upon the agenda that Wilson had laid out in ''[[Sociobiology: The New Synthesis]]'' (1975) and ''[[On Human Nature]]'' (1978). In the book, the two assume that culturgens are stored in [[long-term memory]], are readily observable in the [[external world]], and are to be transmitted via [[socialization]].<ref name=":1" /> ''Genes, Mind, and Culture'' received many highly negative reviews in the scientific press, however;<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> it was re-issued in 2005 with a review of subsequent developments.<ref>Lumsden, Charles J., and E. O. Wilson. 2005. ''Genes, Mind, And Culture: The Coevolutionary Process'' (25th Anniversary ed.). Singapore: World Scientific. [https://books.google.com/books?id=VOXICgAAQBAJ&dq=Culturgen&pg=PA384 Google Books].</ref>
 It also effectively means much the same as the older term ''cultural trait'' used by [[anthropologist]]s, and offers similar difficulties of identification and definition. The term has declined in popularity; the slightly older term ''[[meme]]''—coined by [[Richard Dawkins]] in his book ''[[The Selfish Gene]]'' (1976)—is now used in its stead,<ref name=":0" /> almost universally (even by Wilson in his later writings).{{Citation needed|date=March 2021}}