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The Palgrave Handbook of Biology and Society pp 371–390Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

On the Neurodisciplines of Culture

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Abstract

Since the 1990s, several disciplines have emerged at the interface between neuroscience and the sciences of cultures. Their goal is to understand both how the brain produces culture and how culture is inscribed in the brain. In this chapter we offer an overview of neuroanthropology and cultural neuroscience, the two main “neurodisciplines of culture.” We compare them to each other, relate them to the associated endeavors of cultural psychology and social neuroscience and explore the ways in which they may, and may not, be relevant for an understanding of culture.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Hanser and Skinner (2012) was published in the special issue “Neuroanthropology and Its Applications” of the Annals of Anthropological Practice, 36, 2012, where other examples can be found.

  2. 2.

    Downey (2012c) was published in The Encultured Brain (Lende and Downey 2012a) where other examples can be found.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICREA (Catalan Institution of Research and Advanced Studies), Barcelona, Spain

    Fernando Vidal

  2. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Fernando Vidal

  3. State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Francisco Ortega

Authors
  1. Fernando Vidal
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  2. Francisco Ortega
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociological Studies, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

    Maurizio Meloni

  2. School of Management, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    John Cromby

  3. Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    Des Fitzgerald

  4. Department of Anthropology, Laval University, Québec, Canada

    Stephanie Lloyd

Additional information

This chapter incorporates, in revised form, parts of the article: Ortega, Francisco and Vidal, Fernando. In Press. “Culture: By the Brain and in the Brain?” História, Ciências, Saúde-Manguinhos, 23(4), 965–983. We gratefully acknowledge the original source and thank the journal editors for permission.

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Vidal, F., Ortega, F. (2018). On the Neurodisciplines of Culture. In: Meloni, M., Cromby, J., Fitzgerald, D., Lloyd, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Biology and Society. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52879-7_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-52879-7_16

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