Culture, Circles, and Commercials

This paper applies a game theoretic argument, that common knowledge is necessary for `solving' coordination problems, to a variety of cultural practices. This argument helps in understanding how cultural practices such as mass ceremonies constitute power, how talking in inward-facing circles helps coordination, and why `social' goods tend to be advertised on popular and expensive television shows. The main conclusion is that cultural practices, usually understood in terms of `meaning' or `content', must also be understood in terms of `publicity', or more precisely common knowledge generation.