Several factors have made norms and culture practically important to Western societies: the failure of democratization in Iraq and the Middle East; Europe’s migrant crisis and issues of social integration; the loss of trust and social capital; the emergence of populist politicians challenging what seemed to be consensus values; and domestic policy issues with a "behavioural" and normative dimension, such as obesity, savings, and environmental behaviour.

At the same time, social scientists have developed a renewed interest in social norms and their cultural transmission. Experimental economists and psychologists have studied norms using laboratory and field experiments; evolutionary theorists have developed theories of cultural transmission; within economics, culture has returned as an explanation for differences in economic performance. Cultural transmission also underlies the twin concepts of the “industrious revolution” – an early modern change in worker behaviour, leading to higher European productivity – and of “social discipline,” the post-Reformation process by which societies reshaped their members’ preferences and beliefs.

Building on the success of last year’s Cultural Transmission and Social Norms workshop (CTSN 1), CTSN 2 will bring together excellent researchers on these topics across disciplines, in order to cross-fertilize ideas and provide a forum for new work.

Our societies have a pressing need to develop an accurate understanding of their cultural heritage, with the perspectives of modern social science. The ultimate goal of this research is to provide that.