Capuchin Mimesis
Culture is often a source of faith, seen as a refining force and a bastion of tradition. In the face of adversity or suppression, it becomes a spectre of hope. That’s… rather rose tinted for my tastes. Apollonian versus Dionysian drives can be a useful dichotomy, but views of the latter as innate and the former as learned are misguided.
It’s widespread though. I often can’t use the word “culture” without it being assumed to have a big C. I only ever mean it with a small one; culture as process, mechanics, system. Being raised in a high control group gave me a huge headstart in terms of seeing it this way, because when I left, I found the wider world to function in very similar but less intense ways.
The evidence for such a view seems to be coming in fairly regularly nowadays:
Research in Brazil has produced fresh evidence that primates may have something approaching human “culture”.
A scientist has observed capuchin monkeys banging stones together, apparently as a signalling device to ward off potential predators.
The researcher says the animals appear to be learning this skill from each other – and even teaching incomers to the group how it should be done.
Culture is mimesis. It *is* a part of our nature, not an overlay that quells some terrible, base makeup then purifies.
Culture is a bunch of chimpanzees smashing the skull of a stranger then eating it’s brain. It’s the same species using sticks to fish termites out of nests. It’s congenial grooming. It’s good manners, it’s bad manners; genes apart it’s everything about a social species. It’s in the nature of all media and messages, regardless of their content.