10 traits that make cultures change

Taken from James Harrison's Culture Development Project - an analysis of cultures around the world and how they develop. He came up with 10 characteristics that were seen over and over again in cultures that developed faster.

• A culture that emphasizes the future and progress (time-oriented cultures) will progress faster than static cultures that focus on the present.
• Work ethic - cultures where work is central to living and rewards develop faster.
• Finances - cultures that save and invest for the future rather than spend and consume immediately (or try to distribute it to everybody immediately) will change faster.
• Education - when it is valued and viewed as a key to progress the culture will progress, if it is seen as of no value except to the elite, the culture will stagnate.
• Advancement - when people are advanced based on merit rather than connections.
• Community - where trust and identification extends beyond family (if you only trust in family and exploit everyone else you will not develop).
• Ethical code- progressive cultures have rigorous moral codes, static cultures have corruption as a way of life. 
• Justice and fair play- progressive cultures will have justice for all, static cultures only extend justice to intimate connections of friends and connections. Think of Paul under the Roman Empire claiming his citizenship after the beating from his jailor, giving immunity - what about all the other people who were beaten?
• Authority - in progressive cultures it is dispersed and horizontal vs static cultures have strong vertical authority and is hierarchical.
• Religion - Progressive cultures have less religious influence on civic life. (Personally I would debate that this depends on which religion since Christianity promotes all the other progressive traits).

Harrison concludes that culture is indeed either a hindrance or an asset for progress, but having shown that correlation he then proposes that responsible leadership by a country’s political representations must assume the duties of saving people from their own limitations.