A thread through the archive
Essays tagged “cultural change”. Follow an idea across the archive.
A descendant of missionary Hiram Bingham reviews his ancestor's memoir about bringing Christianity and Western civilization to Hawaii in the 1820s-1840s, drawing parallels to modern Effective Altruism and examining what lessons today's do-gooders can learn from this earlier generation of world-savers.
The review examines Yukichi Fukuzawa's autobiography, highlighting his role in modernizing Japan and his humorous, insightful account of 19th century Japanese society.
The review examines 'Zuozhuan', an ancient Chinese historical text, exploring its content, context, and relevance to understanding societal transformation.
Scott Alexander presents highlights from reader comments on his 'Bobos in Paradise' book review, covering critiques of the book's thesis, discussions on elite education, and debates on social class dynamics.
Scott reviews David Brooks' thesis on how a 1950s change in Ivy League admissions policy reshaped American elite culture and society.
A dialogue explores the debate between Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day, discussing the nature of holidays, cultural traditions, and historical accountability.
Scott Alexander discusses reader comments on why modern architecture differs from older styles, exploring economic, cultural, and artistic explanations.
Scott Alexander explores the 'Tartaria' conspiracy theory to discuss broader shifts in aesthetic preferences, examining potential explanations and their implications for society.
Scott Alexander reviews Paul Fussell's 1983 book 'Class', which analyzes America's informal class structure and its impact on behavior and preferences.
Scott examines five potential mechanisms of cultural evolution, discussing their strengths and limitations, and concludes that they don't strongly justify preserving specific cultural features.
Scott Alexander examines violent children's songs from the past to discuss changing societal norms and the reliability of social science versus conventional wisdom.