Companion to Cognitive Anthropology

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 fieldThis new companion traces the development of cognitive anthropology from its beginnings in the late 1950s to the present, and evaluates future directions of research in the field. In twenty-nine articles from leading anthropologists, there is an overview of cognitive and cultural structures, insights into how cognition works in everyday life and interacts with culture, and examples of contemporary research. The companion is essential for anyone interested in the questions of how culture shapes cognitive processes.