Oxford Handbook of Cultural Evolution

This handbook offers a comprehensive overview of the interdisciplinary field of Cultural Evolution, which has in recent years matured into an increasingly diverse and wide-reaching but intellectually coherent research programme.

This handbook offers a comprehensive overview of the interdisciplinary field of Cultural Evolution, which has in recent years matured into an increasingly diverse and wide-reaching but intellectually coherent research programme. The book showcases the disciplinary spectrum of research into Cultural Evolution, from primatology and medieval literature to gene-culture co-evolution, computer science, anthropology, archaeology, and experimental psychology. The handbook consists of review essays contributed by leading experts in their areas, structured into ten sections covering key approaches and debates, major themes and “real-world” applications. Taken together, the essays offer an exceptionally broad and forward-looking perspective on the field for researchers across the cognitive and evolutionary social sciences, including those working in fields adjacent to Cultural Evolution, such as Behavioural Ecology, Evolutionary Psychology and Digital Humanities. The handbook also provides a unique educational resource for students and teachers seeking to integrate Cultural Evolution into undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, as well as highlighting some of the potential applications of Cultural Evolution in fields such as education, public health, and environmental policy.