Cognition and Culture

Catalog description

The human mind gives rise to complex cultural products (language, literature, film, music, etc.) and practices (religion, education, monetary and political systems, etc.). In this class, we'll engage with the following kinds of questions: What can we learn about cultural products and practices by studying them as cognitive scientists? What can we learn about human cognition by studying cultural products and practices? What differences and commonalities emerge when we use the lens of cognitive science to understand culture? By bringing the theoretical and methodological tools of cognitive science to bear on culture, students will develop new understandings of what culture is; of how cultural variation, similarity, and change are central to human cognition; and how culture shapes the impact of our actions on different peoples. Counts as a Human Diversity & Commonality course.