AN216 Half Unit Not available in 2009/10
Cognition and Anthropology
This information is for the 2009/10 session.
Teacher responsible
Availability
Optional for BA Anthropology and Law and BA/BSc Social Anthropology. Pre-requisites
Undergraduates taking this course should have completed an introductory course in anthropology unless granted exemption by the course teacher. Course content
The course will examine the relation between individual cognitive development and cultural constructs.
Why anthropologists should pay attention to psychology; why psychologists should pay attention to anthropology; innateness and cultural variability; intentionality, cultural accumulation and 'theory of mind'; social intelligence; concepts; language and thought; the nature of religious concepts.
Teaching
Lectures AN216 weekly LT, Classes AN216.A weekly LT. Formative coursework
Students are expected to submit one-page reading reports every week and to contribute to class discussion through presentations.
Indicative reading
C Strauss & N Quinn A Cognitive Theory of Cultural Meaning (1997); M Boch How We Think They Think (1998); D Sperber Explaining Culture (1996); M Cole Cultural Psychology (1996); M Tomasello The Cultural Origins of Human Cognition (1999); P Boyer Religion Explained (2001). Detailed reading lists are provided at the beginning of the course. Assessment
A two-hour examination in the ST worth 80%. One assessed essay of 2000-2500 words (20%). ^
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