schismogenesis
Processes of differentiation and conflict within or between cultural groups that affect social dynamics and cultural change.
2 chapters across 1 book
Steps to an Ecology of Mind (1972)Gregory Bateson
In this chapter, Bateson critiques a 1935 Social Sciences Research Council Memorandum on culture contact, arguing that its categorical approach is flawed due to vague problem formulation and oversimplified classifications of cultural traits. He proposes a more nuanced framework that recognizes the complexity and multi-functionality of cultural traits and extends the concept of culture contact to include intra-community differentiation. Bateson emphasizes the need to study culture contact through multiple aspects of unity within groups, including structural and affective dimensions, to better understand processes of cultural change and equilibrium.
This chapter explores the dynamics of culture contact and the concept of schismogenesis, analyzing how social and national characters develop through interaction and differentiation. Bateson examines the Balinese value system as an example of a steady-state ethos contrasted with schismogenic systems, and discusses the role of style and art in conveying meaning and maintaining social equilibrium. The chapter also delves into the limits of consciousness and the corrective function of art within primitive cultures.