▁are ▁several ▁stages ▁of ▁differ ing ▁lengths ▁and ▁forms . ▁Although , ▁individual ▁cult ures ▁develop ▁differently ▁and ▁cultural ▁evolution ▁occurs ▁differently , ▁mult il ine ar ▁theory ▁acknowled ges ▁that ▁cult ures ▁and ▁soci eties ▁do ▁tend ▁to ▁develop ▁and ▁move ▁forward . ▁ ▁Les lie ▁A . ▁White ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁different ▁cult ures ▁had ▁differ ing ▁amounts ▁of ▁' energy ', ▁White ▁argued ▁that ▁with ▁greater ▁energy ▁soci eties ▁could ▁possess ▁greater ▁levels ▁of ▁social ▁different iation . ▁He ▁rejected ▁separation ▁of ▁modern ▁soci eties ▁from ▁primitive ▁soci eties . ▁In ▁contrast , ▁Ste ward ▁argued , ▁much ▁like ▁Dar win ' s ▁theory ▁of ▁evolution , ▁that ▁culture ▁adapt s ▁to ▁its ▁surr ound ings . ▁' E volution ▁and ▁Culture ' ▁by ▁S ahl ins ▁and ▁Service ▁is ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁con den se ▁the ▁views ▁of ▁White ▁and ▁Ste ward ▁into ▁a ▁universal ▁theory ▁of ▁mult il ine ar ▁evolution . ▁ ▁Mem et ics ▁ ▁Richard ▁Daw kins ' ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁book ▁The ▁Self ish ▁Gene ▁proposed ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁the ▁" m eme ", ▁which ▁is ▁analog ous ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁gene . ▁A ▁m eme ▁is ▁an ▁idea - rep lic ator ▁that ▁can ▁reproduce ▁itself , ▁by ▁jump ing ▁from ▁mind ▁to ▁mind ▁via ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁one ▁human ▁learning ▁from ▁another ▁via ▁im itation . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁the ▁" vir us ▁of ▁the ▁mind " ▁image , ▁the ▁m eme ▁might ▁be ▁thought ▁of ▁as