Strategic Evolution

Episode 2 of the Climate Crisis Strategist Series

Summary: This blog explores the concept of strategic evolution by drawing parallels between natural biological evolution and sociocultural development. While natural evolution operates through mechanisms like mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and sexual selection to produce advantageous traits in populations over time, sociocultural evolution operates through similar evolutionary processes in human societies through their economic, political, technological, religious, artistic and other systems. Strategic Evolution emerges as intentional development that leverages or mitigates evolutionary factors for strategic purposes, focusing on long-term goals, systemic connections, and adaptation rather than just immediate outcomes.

The concept of strategic evolution derives from the theory of evolution in the life sciences. 

The theory of natural evolution describes the process by which populations of organisms change over generations.  This process of natural selection occurs when organisms with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more successfully, passing these beneficial characteristics to offspring. Over time, these favorable traits become more common in populations.

Several mechanisms drive natural evolution: 

1. mutation creates new genetic variations; 

2. genetic drift randomly changes allele (a gene variant) frequencies; 

3. gene flow transfers genetic material between populations; and 

4. sexual selection favors traits that increase mating success.

Sociocultural Evolution

Similar phenomena occur in the sociocultural realm as well. Economic, political, technological, religious, family, educational and communication structures emerge in all societies. These systems provide frameworks for social interaction and shape individual behaviors through shared values, symbols, and practices. They vary across societies and evolve over time through internal dynamics and external influences. Sociocultural systems both constrain human behavior and provide opportunities for agency and change.

Much of this development is intentional, the result of myriad decisions made by humans individually and in various social groups. Therefore, it is largely planned and managed with specific sociocultural goals—economic, political, technological, and even religious and artistic—in mind.  

However, an often overlooked aspect of sociocultural development is an evolutionary impulse that mirrors natural evolution. Some of the mechanisms that drive sociocultural evolution mimic natural mechanisms.  

1. An analog to genetic mutation in socio-cultural systems is the production of unintended consequences. These consequences cause reactions to the otherwise normal plans and activities related to the intended course of activity.

2. As with genetic drift that changes allele frequencies (how often a specific allele (a gene variant) appears in a population, expressed as a fraction or percentage), certain unintended consequences survive and thrive (like the need for predictable time zones to allow for scheduled train service) while others die off (like 8-track and even cd-players in cars). 

3. As gene flow transfers genetic material between populations in natural systems, exploration, trade, migration, and even war transfer sociocultural artifacts and systems between populations in often random ways.  (See the case study below.)

4. And, just as sexual selection favors traits that increase mating success, economic, political or other forms of sociocultural success begets acceptance of new socio-cultural traits such as the acceptance of new technologies or medical practices (like vaccinations!).

Though not a perfect analogy, the the evolutionary quality of sociocultural development is compelling and provides a tool for strategic analysis.

A case study in sociocultural evolution:  A case in point is the introduction of horses to North America by Europeans. In 1493, Christopher Columbus brought horses to the Caribbean during his second voyage. Spanish conquistadors later brought horses to the mainland during their expeditions in the early 16th century, notably with Hernán Cortés in Mexico (1519) and Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in the American Southwest (1540-1542).

Though bringing horses with them from Europe was simply a practical matter of using familiar and effective transportation methods in the territories they were exploring and economically and politically exploiting, these European horses transformed Native American cultures, particularly on the Great Plains. Some horses escaped or were stolen, establishing feral populations and spreading northward. By the late 17th century, tribes like the Comanche and Sioux had acquired horses and developed equestrian cultures that revolutionized their hunting practices, warfare, and social structures.

Ironically, the horse had evolved naturally in North America millions of years earlier but became extinct there around 10,000 years ago. The European reintroduction brought horses full circle to their evolutionary homeland.

Strategic Evolution

Strategic thinking involves acting intentionally on long-term goals, systemic connections, and adapting to changing circumstances rather than just on the immediate outcomes, isolated factors, and maintaining the "natural” inertia of evolution tendencies.

Therefore, strategic evolution involves development that capitalizes on or mitigates evolutionary factors for strategic purposes in the context of sociocultural evolution.

Back to our case study: For instance, the horse cultures that emerged among Native American populations adapted horses to fit their specific needs. Compared to other native populations without horses, they became more productive hunters (particularly when hunting bison), more effective warriors (than foes who traveled and fought on foot), and more able to expand their seasonal mobility (often escaping the consequences of local doubts, for instance).

By adapting their use of horses to their purposes and lifestyles, they created temporary competitive advantages over the horse-powered Europeans, particularly in hunting and warfare. 

Strategic Evolution and Technology

In another blog, I define technology as a mode of human being and suggest that “for much of human history, the changes related to technology have been evolutionary in character -- sparks of innovation followed by adaptations leading to socio-cultural success over long periods of time. In fact, the overall development of technology is evolutionary.” 

In an age of pervasive technology, technology has become a primary mechanism of change. It acts as a source of sociocultural dynamism that continually shifts the boundaries of both possibility and limitation. The degree of dynamism generated by technology—the force of technology as an ordering principle—depends on the conditions under which the technology is applied, the amount of power used, the level of innovation, and the duration between the innovation and the sociocultural adaptation to it. In an era of pervasive technology, the revolutionary character of technology becomes increasingly evident and vital to sociocultural development, steadily becoming the norm.

As a result, a strategic evolution perspective is needed now more than ever—one that remains vigilant in uncovering the unintended and systemic sociocultural effects of technological innovation, providing both opportunity and protection in the face of technology-induced socio-cultural evolution.

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by Russell E. Willis

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