Cultural Conventions as Group-Makers

Abstract In most literature on human cultural evolution and the emergence of large-scale cooperation, main function conventions is described as providing group-markers. This paper argues that serve another purpose well at least important. Large-scale cooperation characterized by complex division labour a diversity social roles associated with institutions. requires ubiquitous ‘role-interaction coordination’ – it will be labelled. It argued without this type coordination would cognitively intractable. Thus, apart from functioning group markers, they are first foremost important group-makers.