Skinner has established culture as a third selection level through which practices are selected according to their role in culture survival. Thus, this study aims to point out that the concept of culture survival may not be sufficient to explain practices that do not establish a direct relation with survival. A critical process was established through a dialogue with Marvin Harris' cultural materialism. The conceptual analysis of the texts was used, selected by thematic. It was concluded that culture survival as a determinant of selection of practices is problematic and difficult to sustain. It is suggested that the behavioral analysis of culture could advance with contributions from anthropology.
Culture survival; radical behaviorism; cultural materialism; culture practices; B. F. Skinner; Marvin Harris