The Encultured Brain

[Tamrin]

Review - The Encultured Brain
An Introduction to Neuroanthropology
by Daniel H. Lende and Greg Downey (Editors)
MIT Press, 2012
Review by Gustav Jahoda, Ph.D.
Apr 23rd 2013 (Volume 17, Issue 17)

This book is an introduction to a field that has, as yet, no formal existence. It is also a passionate plea for it to be established. So what is neuroanthropology? Curiously, one is not actually told in so many words, and perhaps the closest one comes to it is the following passage:

Neuroanthropology will address a broad range of areas. Using social and cultural neuroscience in combination with psychological anthropology and cultural psychology, neuroanthropology builds in-depth analyses of mind, behaviour, and self based on an understanding of both neurological function and ethnographic reality.

Rather a tall order! Among other things it is suggested that it will heal the split between cultural and biological anthropology and constitute a multidisciplinary endeavour.

To what extent does the content of this book support the radical claims for neuroanthropology made by the editors? There is no simple answer to this question. They are undoubtedly right in calling the brain 'encultured', since the connections between neurons are shaped by the experiences in particular cultures and will therefore produce differences in mental processes and behavior; but the extent of such differences is debatable, and should not be allowed to obscure our common humanity. Curiously though, that is not the aspect stressed by the authors of the research reports, as may be illustrated by that on 'Memory and medicine'. It is based on an interesting comparative study of medical traditions in America and in an Indonesian community. In a preliminary account of the neural structures of memory, mentioning the hippocampus and the amygdala, there is no suggestion that these differ according to culture; all that seems to differ is the use made of these structures. The chapter ends with a skeptical note: 'At this stage we can only speculate on what we could learn by jumping with both feet into the research possibilities of neuroanthropology.' Examples of this kind in the book, where general principles of neuroscience are adduced in the context of specific cultural settings, could be multiplied. This should not be taken as a critique of the researches as such, most of which are of a high standard and indeed illuminating. The critique is directed only at some of the authors' efforts to squeeze the findings into a supposedly neuroanthropological framework.

In spite of the reservations expressed about the claims made by the editors, and in spite of the fact that in their passionate advocacy they sometimes seem to go over the top, one has to admire their zest. Moreover, they do make many important critical and constructive points. And even if one remains unconvinced by their challenge, the empirical researches they have collected are well worth reading. Finally it should be mentioned that the book is packed with a mass of up-to-date references about a wide range of relevant topics, that should prove a valuable resource for teachers and students.