Established theories treat cultural change as random or contagious rather than chosen

Evidence

Unlike many other aspects of the human experience, there are still few authoritative answers on what alters our cultural preferences. A recent book trying to explain the mechanics of taste concluded by raising a white flag, dismissing changes over time as a “random walk” akin to the stock market’s short-term fluctuations. For the last two decades, the most established theory of cultural change has cast it as “viral contagion,” arguing that we succumb to fads like we contract the measles. — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 16

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s general knowledge of diffusion-of-innovations theory and contagion models of memes. — connects to: The dominant theory treats cultural change as random viral contagion — W. David Marx, Status and Culture: How Our Desire for…, 16; Social change selects among available ideas rather than dictating belief — Carolyn Merchant, The Death of Nature: Women, Ecology,…, 66; Cultural spread was first theorized as a contagious epidemic — W. David Marx, Blank Space: A Cultural History of the…, 185
• QUESTION: Which book is being cited as concluding taste is a random walk? Worth chasing the specific reference.

Broader Connections

• The dominant theory treats cultural change as random viral contagion #expands (0.92) — W. David Marx, Status and Culture, 16
• Cultural spread was first theorized as a contagious epidemic #corroborates (0.85) — W. David Marx, Blank Space, 185
• Social change selects among available ideas rather than dictating belief #corroborates (0.78) — Carolyn Merchant, The Death of Nature, 66