ANTH 262 01 Cognitive Anthropology:

Instructor: Dr. Norbert Ross

Meeting Time: Tue & Thurs 13-14:10

Meeting Location: CL 320

Office Hours: Tue & Thurs 14:30- 15:30 (or by appointment) Garland Hall 007

Cognitive Anthropology is the exciting field of research where anthropology “meets” the brain and the cognitive sciences. In the course of the semester we will address issues as general as How does the mind work? and What are some basic arithmetics behind thought processes? and as specific as How do Menominee Native Americans of Wisconsin or Itza’ Maya of the Petén (Guatemala) model their natural environment? and How do these models differ across cultures? We will look at mundane issues, such as the development and devolution of knowledge as well as issues of supernatural qualities, such as the origin and role of religion and cosmologies in human thought.

As such, our journey will be as much about cognitive universals – how do human beings think (and in some cases even primates) as it will be about cultural specifics – how does culture influence the way humans think. In fact, I will argue that one cannot be understood without the other. This is the basic feature that puts cognitive anthropology at the center not only of cultural anthropology but also the cognitive sciences. Understanding cultural differences makes it necessary to develop a working concept of culture: “What is culture?” and “How should we study culture?” questions that are central for anthropological theory. However, while theoretically important, cognitive anthropology has much to say to applied sciences: Asking questions such as “How does our thinking influence our behavior?” or “How do children learn relevant knowledge, and how is this affected by the environment” are important to answer for policy related issues – e.g. ethnic conflicts, development projects, but also curriculum development in school systems.

Readings will come from Anthropology, Psychology and the general cognitive sciences. However, certain domains are more frequently addressed than others and a focus will be on research conducted by the instructor. As such, several readings will be related to the domain of folkbiology, yet our discussions will often go beyond the immediate findings. For the readings we explore both at the content and theoretical / pragmatic implications of the studies, as well as the methodologies (including research design) applied. During the first part of the class students will have to conduct little research projects based on the readings and write up the results in the light of the readings.

STRUCTURE OF THE CLASS: The class will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays and it will include a mixture of lecture, discussions and student presentations (graduate students only). Three books have been selected for this class (available in the bookstore and put on reserve in the library). Other readings will include research papers, available online through the library system. Students are responsible to download these readings in time, in order to come prepared to class. Class participation is obligatory and you have to come prepared to class. Some lectures will be based on common readings while others will elaborate a topic not addressed in the readings. For discussion classes, two students will be in charge of initiating the discussion based on the assigned readings (however, everyone has to do the readings!). Graduate students will do a class presentation, elaborating a point addressed in the readings. For specific readings reaction papers (see document) are required (part of your grade). Reading for this class includes engaging critically with a text. Discussions (part of your grade) are not about reciting the reading, but critically exploring the text with respect to problems and implications. As research in the cognitive sciences tends to be rather formal – for reasons that will be addressed in the class – basic statistical understanding and research design will be helpful, although not required.

This class does not have a final exam, but rather three equally weighted exams. Exams consist of short questions to be answered in a single sentence or short essay.

Each student will conduct several research projects and write up a small paper based on the design and results of the study. These projects will be designed after the readings and are intended to familiarize the students with some of the methods.

Grading:

Class Participation: 25%

Reaction Papers: 15%

Research projects: 15%

Exams: 45%

Graduate Students. In addition to the above, graduate students will impart a class presentation (on a topic discussed with the instructor during the first week of class) and write a final paper (10-15 pages). The presentation and paper will make up for 30% of their grade (70% of their grade will be processed based on the above key).

Graduate Student papers are due the final day of class, a draft version is required at 03.17.2005.

Required Readings:

Books:

D’Andrade, R. (1995). The Development of Cognitive Anthropology. Cambridge.

Ross, N. (2004). Culture and Cognition: Implications for Theory and Method.

Sage Publications.

Recommended Reading (not required for class):

Shore, B. (1996) Culture in Mind. Oxford.

The books are available at the bookstore and are also on hold in the Vanderbilt Library.

Additional articles and book chapters are either available online through ACORN (Vanderbilt Library WebPage) or will be distributed in class.
Syllabus (preliminary):

There might be two guest speakers, in which case a change in the syllabus and the readings will be required.

Readings are due at the date outlined below, so please make sure to download the documents in time and come prepared to class. READINGS ARE REQUIRED AND IMPLY WORKING THROUGH A TEXT. If you have problems downloading the readings it is your responsibility to inform the instructor at least three days prior to the respective class.

Class 1 (Thursday; 01.13.05). Introduction, structure of the class, syllabus, what is

Cognitive Anthropology? Meeting with graduate students after class.

Downloading papers via ACORN.

Class 2 (Tuesday; 01.18.05). Background, history & some concepts.

Reading: D’Andrade chpt. 1-4

Class 3 (Thursday; 01.20.05). Folktaxonomies.

Reading: D’Andrade chpt. 5.

Class 4 (Tuesday; 01.25.05). Categorization and Reasoning.

Reading: Lopez et al. (1997) The Tree of Life: Universal and Cultural features of

Folkbiological Taxonomies and Induction. Cognitive Psychology, 32(3):251-295.

Reaction paper required.

Recommended reading: Osherson et al. (1990). Category-Based Induction.

Psychological Review, Vol 97(2):185-200

Class 5 (Thursday; 01.27.05). Categories, concepts and cultural differences.

Reading: Medin, Ross et al. (in press) (handed out by the instructor).

Recommended Reading: Atran, Medin, Ross et al. (1999). Folkecology and

commons management in the Maya Lowlands. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 96: 7598-7603.

Ross, N. (2002). Cognitive aspects of intergenerational change: Mental models, cultural change and environmental behavior among the Lacandon Maya of southern Mexico. Human Organization, 61:125-138.

Class 6 (Tuesday; 02.01.05). Exam I.

Class 7 (Thursday; 02.03.05). Learning of Biology & Biological Essentialism.

Reading: Ross, et al. (2003). Cultural and experiential differences in the development of folkbiological induction. Cognitve Development, 18:25-47.

Waxman, Medin, Ross (in press) handed out by the instructor.

Reaction paper required for the first paper.

Recommended reading: Atran et al. (2001). Folkbiology doesn’t come from folkpsychology: Evidence from Yukatek Maya in crosscultural perspective. Culture and Cognition, 1, 3-42.

Class 8 (Tuesday; 02.08.05). Human essentialist notions.

Reading: Mahalagam, R. (2003). Essentialism, Culture, and Beliefs about Gender among the Aravanis of Tamil Nadu, India. Sex Roles, 49: 489-496. (Handed out by instructor).

Mahalagam, R. & Rodrigues, J. (2003). Essentialism, Power and Cultural Psychology of Gender. Journal of Cognition and Culture. (Handed out by instructor.)

Class 9 (Thursday; 02.10.05). Student Presentation: Racialism.

Reading: Gil-White, F. (2001) Are ethnic groups biological “species” to the

human brain?: Essentialism in our cognition of some social categories (w. comments and reply). Current Anthropology, 42(4): 515 ff.

Reaction paper required.

Class 10 (Tuesday; 02.15.05). Symbolic Healing and the Body.

Reading: Moereman (1979). Anthropology of Symbolic Healing. Current Anthropology, 20(1): 59-80.

Class 11 (Thursday; 02.17.05). Brain Death and Transplant.

Reading: Ohnuki-Thierny, E. (1994). Brain death and organ Transplant: Cultural

Basis of Medical Technology. Current Anthropoogy, 35(3):233-254.

Recommended Reading: Sylvia & Novak (1997). A Change of Heart: A Memoir.

New York.

Class 12 (Tuesday; 02.22.05). Folkmedicine: Understanding the Human Body.

Reading: Bastien, J. (1985). Qollahuaya-Andean Body Concepts: A Topographical-Hydraulic Model of Physiology. American Anthropologist, 87:595-611.

Class 13 (Thursday; 02.24.05). No class, TBA.

Class 14 (Tuesday; 03.01.05). Morailty.

Reading: Haidt, J. (2001). The emotional dog and its rational tail: A social

institutionist approach to moral judgment. Psychology Review, 108:814-834.

Reply by Pizzaro & Bloom in Psychology Review, 110:193-196.

Reply by Haidt in Psychological Review, 110:197-198.

Class 15 (Thursday; 03.03.05). Language and Language acquisition.

Reading: Pinker, S. chpt. from The language instinct, (handed out by the instructor).

Tuesday (03.08.05) SPRING BREAK. Book on the Beach!

Thursday (03.10.05) SPRING BREAK . Book on the Beach!

Class 16 (Tuesday; 03.15.05). No Class, TBA.

Class 17 (Thursday; 03.17.05). Exam II.

Due data: Graduate Students due draft / outline of final paper.

Class 18 (Tuesday; 03.22.05). Student Presentation: Linguistic Relativity.

Reading: Hunt & Agnoli (1991) The Whorfian Hypothesis: A Cognitive

Psychology Perspective Psychological Review, 98:377-389.

Class 19 (Thursday; 03.24.05). Culture as Pattern of Agreement.

Reading: Brumann (1999). Writing for Culture. Current Anthropology, 40:1-27. (with comments) Reaction paper required. (In the reaction paper address the different comments and how the author response to them. Graduate students: locate these comments within the wider frame of anthropological / social science theory)

Class 20 (Tuesday; 03.29.05). Student Presentation: East West.

Reading: Nisbett et al. (2001). Culture and Systems of Thought: Holistic vs. Analytic Cognition. Psychological Review, 108(2):291-310.

Class 21 (Thursday; 03.31.05). What happens with Disagreement?

Reading: Garro, L. (1986). Intracultural Variation in Medical Knowledge: A comparison between curers and non-curers. American Anthropologist, 88(2): 351-370.

Garro, L. (2000). Remembering what one knows and the construction of the past: A comparison of consensus theory and cultural schema theory. Ethos, 28(3): 275-319.

Recommended Reading: Ross, chpt. 5 & 6.

Class 22 (Tuesday; 04. 05.05). Devolution of Knowledge.

Reading: Wolff et al.(1999). Evolution and devolution of folkbiological knowledge. Cognition, 73(2):177-204.

Recommended Reading: (re-reading): Ross, N. (2002). Cognitive aspects of intergenerational change: Mental models, cultural change and environmental behavior among the Lacandon Maya of southern Mexico. Human Organization, 61:125-138

Class 23 (Thursday; 04.07.05). The nature of cultural differences.

Reading: Hong et al. (2000). Multicultural Minds: A dynamic constructivist approach to culture and cognition. American Psychologist, 55(7): 709-720.

Ross & Medin (in press) Ethnography and Experiments: Cultural Models and expertise effects elicited with experimental research techniques. Field Methods. (Handed out by instructor)

Class 24 (Tuesday; 04.12.05). Cross cultural research: design and theory.

Reading: Ross, chpt. 1-3 & 6.

Class 25 (Thursday; 04.14.05). How to study culture?

Reading: Ross, chpt. 1-6.

D’Andrade chpt. 6&7

Class 26 (Tuesday; 04.19.05). Exam III.

Class 27 (Thursday; 04.21.05). Discussion of some loose ends: What is Culture?

Readings: NONE!!

Class 28 (Thuesday; 04.26.05). Final class. What is Cognitive Anthropology? Review

Discussion.