A Companion to Cognitive Anthropology

Kronenfeld, David B. / Bennardo, Giovanni / de Munck, Victor C. / Fischer, Michael D. (Editor)

Blackwell Companions to Anthropology

1. Edition April 2011
624 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd

ISBN: 978-1-4051-8778-7

John Wiley & Sons

Short Description

A Companion to Cognitive Anthropology offers a comprehensive overview of the development of cognitive anthropology from its inception to the present day and explores recent findings in the areas of theory, methodology, and field research in twenty-nine key essays by leading scholars. The book explains how cultural (or collective) vs. individual knowledge distinguishes cognitive anthropology from cognitive psychology. The companion is essential for anyone interested in the questions of how culture shapes cognitive processes.

Further versions

A Companion to Cognitive Anthropology offers a comprehensive overview of the development of cognitive anthropology from its inception to the present day and presents recent findings in the areas of theory, methodology, and field research in twenty-nine key essays by leading scholars.
* Demonstrates the importance of cognitive anthropology as an early constituent of the cognitive sciences
* Examines how culturally shared and complex cognitive systems work, how they are structured, how they differ from one culture to another, how they are learned and passed on
* Explains how cultural (or collective) vs. individual knowledge distinguishes cognitive anthropology from cognitive psychology
* Examines recent theories and methods for studying cognition in real-world scenarios
* Contains twenty-nine key essays by leading names in the field

Introduction

Part I: History of Cognitive Anthropology and the nature and types of Cultural Knowledge Structures

Part II: Methodologies

Part III: Cognitive Structures of Cultural Domains

Part IV: Cognitive Anthropology and other Disciplines

PART V: Some Examples of Contemporary Research

Afterward: One Cognitive View of Culture

"In elucidating tensions between individual and collective, between idiosyncratic and commonplace, between the social, cultural, and environmental, and between the evolutionary and situational, cognitive anthropology emerges as a significant component of studying human being, and this volume provides a useful anthology and snapshot." (Journal of the Royal Astronomical Institute, 1 May 2013)

"The fact that reading through these essays got me thinking about the amazing range of research areas that could now be considered part of "cognitive anthropology" is a testament both to the provocative value of this volume and the vitality of the sub-discipline of cognitive anthropology it is helping to re-imagine." (Ethos, 1 February 2013)

David B. Kronenfeld is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at University of California, Riverside and is the author of numerous books, including Culture, Society, and Cognition: Collective Goals, Values, Action, and Knowledge (2008).

Giovanni Bennardo is Associate Professor at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of three books, most recently Language, Space, and Social Relationships: A Foundational Cultural Model in Polynesia (2009).

Michael D. Fischer is Professor of Anthropological Sciences at the University of Kent and has written Applications in Computing for Social Anthropologists (1994).

Victor de Munck is Associate Professor of Anthropology at State University New York, New Paltz, and is the author of numerous publications, including Research Design and Methods for Studying Cultures (2009).

D. B. Kronenfeld, University of California, Riverside, USA; G. Bennardo, Northern Illinois University, USA; V. C. de Munck, SUNY, New Paltz, USA; M. D. Fischer, University of Kent, UK