By: Microtargeting or Macrotargeting? On Politics and Culture « Neuroanthropology

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:37:57 +0000

[...] traits, things that we can treat in the same variability approach as attitudes. As Greg wrote in What’s the Culture in Neuroanthropology, “[T]he cultural scorecard method substitutes a blanket list of qualities for any real [...]

By: David

David — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 17:01:51 +0000

Your observation about dimensional models of culture (e.g., Hofstede) is right on. Like all models, they are limited. They have their usefulness, primarily as starting points for greater exploration of culture, but cannot ever be complete explanations of culture. More realistic, in my opinion, are the theories offered by cognitive anthropologists D'Andrade and Strauss & Quinn. Strauss & Quinn's book, A cognitive theory of cultural meaning, is an excellent resource that describes the complexity of culture as a phenomenon emerging from the interplay between intrapersonal cognitive schemas and extrapersonal structures in the world. It doesn't reduce culture to a neuronal phenomenon entirely, though it takes into account the cognitive schemas (activated neural networks) individuals develop and utilize as they interact with their physical and social environments. Similar activations in response to similar patterns, evoking similar understanding, emotional reactions and motivational force. When these schema patterns are shared among individuals, they are said to constitute cultural schemas. It contrasts sharply with classical notions of culture as static entities and represented by dimensional models. It might be something you're interested in examining.

Comments on: What’s the ‘culture’ in neuroanthropology?

By: Microtargeting or Macrotargeting? On Politics and Culture « Neuroanthropology

By: David