Cultural Model Theory: Culture, Mind, and Knowledge

In this chapter, I explore three fundamental issues related to the investigation of culture as a mental phenomenon. The first issue is a short survey of theories about human cognition that are of value and consequence to the anthropological enterprise. I argue for a position that blends a few of the surveyed theories. The second issue includes the theorizing about the mental organization of knowledge. I suggest how salient the concept of cultural model is for anthropology and how it can be conceived as the unit of analysis for the investigation of culture. The third issue is a brief illustration of Cultural Model Theory, including its axioms/assumptions and its theorems/deductions. Finally, I close with a short account of the theoretically motivated methodological path that the adoption of Cultural Model Theory entails. I consider my suggestions a significant starting point to move anthropology forward into a prominent role in the social sciences and at the same time to regain its place within cognitive science.