| dc.description.abstract | This thesis examines the cultural evolution of sustainable societies by integrating perspectives from multilevel cultural selection, social metabolism and commons research. It explores how institutional arrangements shape socio-metabolic patterns and how cultural selection mechanisms may contribute to the emergence of sustainable collective behaviours. While previous work has examined cultural group selection and institutional adaptation, the relationship between these processes and biophysical constraints remains underexplored. This research seeks to contribute to this discussion by considering how institutions and metabolic constraints interact in shaping long-term sustainability.
To investigate these dynamics, agent-based modelling is employed through two complementary models. The first represents a consumer-resource system in which socio-metabolic strategies evolve under varying institutional conditions. The second explores the dynamics of energy commons, focusing on energy-sharing systems and the potential role of Ostrom’s core design principles in the evolution of sustainable energy consumption patterns. By linking multilevel selection theory with common-pool resource management and social metabolic constraints, the models aim to provide a perspective on the co-evolution of institutions and sustainability.
The findings suggest that institutional design plays an important role in shaping socio-metabolic strategies. Groups that adhere to governance structures aligned with Ostrom’s design principles appear more likely to sustain cooperative behaviours and avoid resource depletion. The results also indicate that cultural selection may favour institutional arrangements that enhance long-term resource stability. In the case of energy commons, the research suggest a new perspective on conditions under which energy-sharing arrangements could evolve.
By examining the interplay between institutional dynamics and socio-metabolic constraints, this thesis seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of the factors that influence the emergence of sustainable societies. While this thesis builds on established theories, it remains an attempt to explore and bring together different fields, and there are many remaining questions regarding the mechanisms that drive long-term sustainability. | |
