Cultural uniformity and religion

Abstract

Members of religious groups exhibit cultural uniformity in a variety of ways and to different extents. In this paper I discuss the different ways in which this uniformity is achieved, the advantages and disadvantages that cultural uniformity offers a group, and the broader effects of cultural uniformity on cultural evolution. Partial cultural uniformity can come about in different ways, including: (1) selection involving positive and negative feedbacks (e.g., Fisher process); (2) coordinating signals that include hard-to-fake displays; and (3) the imposition of protocols that are necessarily similar enough to enable communication. These processes often interact, resulting in rapid uniformity in some aspects of culture. Once a sufficient level of cultural uniformity is achieved, it has important consequences for the group as a whole and for individual members. These include: (1) credible signaling which is not costly; (2) increased detection of deviant or novel behavior; (3) increased group cohesion and commitment; (4) an agreed-upon central authority that can divide labor and direct group-wide cultural change; and (5) an increase in the rate of adaptation due to cultural group selection. These effects help explain the stability and diversity of religious group practices.