Meaning seems to shift from context to context; how do we know when someone says "grab a chair" that an ottoman or orange crate will do, but when someone says "let's buy a chair," they won't? Somehow, in spite of this slipperiness, we usually understand each other in conversations, and have straightforward ways of querying each other when we sense a gap in understanding. We seem capable of using ordinary language to communicate with as much precision as we are willing to take the time and effort for--through attention to interactive feedback, and the use of paraphrastic modification, specification, and explication. In Plastic Glasses and Church Fathers, Kronenfeld offers a theory that explains both the usefulness of language's variability of reference and the mechanisms which enable us to understand each other in spite of the variability. His theory is rooted in the tradition of ethnoscience (or cognitive anthropology), a tradition which promotes an ethnography of explicit methodology and mathematically precise theory while remaining responsive to the complexity of particular cultures. Kronenfeld accomplishes three things with his theory. First, he distinguishes prototypic referents from extended referents. Second, he describes the various bases of semantic extensions. Finally he details how we use the situational context of usage, the linguistic context of opposition and inclusion, and the conceptual context of knowledge about the world to interpret communicative events.
This theoretically motivated approach to pragmatics (vs. semantics) produces a radically new view of culture and its role vis-a-vis society. Understanding what words mean in use requires an open-ended recourse to pragmatic cultural knowledge. Cultural knowledge makes up a productive conceptual system. Members of a cultural community share the system but not all of the system's content, making culture a system of parallel distributed cognition. This book presents such a system, and then elaborates a version of "cultural models" that relates actions to goals, values, emotional content, and context, and that allows both systematic generative capacity and systematic variation across cultural and subcultural groups. Such models are offered as the basic units of cultural action. Culture thus conceived is shown as a tool that people use rather than as something deeply internalized in their psyches.
This book examines Fanti kinship terminology from a variety of analytic and formal perspectives. Based on work with a broad number of informants, David B. Kronenfeld details and analyzes internal variation in usage within the Fanti community, shows the relationship between terminology and social groups and communicative usage, and relates these findings to major theoretical work on kinship and on the intersections of language, thought, and culture. The terminological analysis in this study employs a great variety of formal approaches, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, and covers a wide range of types of usage. This work also performs a systematic, formal analysis of behavior patterns among kin, joining this approach with the analysis of a kinship terminological system. Rather than treating kinship terminology as a special, isolated piece of culture, this study also ties its analysis to more general semantic and cultural theoretical issues. Including computational and comparative studies of kinship terminologies, this volume represents the fullest analysis of any kinship terminological system in the ethnographic record.
A particular culture is associated with a particular community, and thus has a social dimension. But how does culture operate and how is it to be defined? Is it to be taken as the behavioral repertoire of members of that community, as the products of their behavior, or as the shared mental content that produces the behavior? Is it to be viewed as a coherent whole or only a collection of disparate parts? Culture is shared, but how totally? How is culture learned and maintained over time, and how does it change? In Meaning and Significance in Human Engagement, Kronenfeld adopts a cognitive approach to culture to offer answers to these questions. Combining insights from cognitive psychology and linguistic anthropology with research on collective knowledge systems, he offers an understanding of culture as a phenomenon produced and shaped by a combination of conditions, constraints and logic. Engagingly written, it is essential reading for scholars and graduate students of cognitive anthropology, linguistic anthropology, sociology of culture, philosophy, and computational cognitive science.
The power of Gould’s analytic system reveals new insights into the Fanti kin terminology. It demonstrates the effectiveness of collective cognitive constraints vs. repeated individual constraints, and the role of distinctive features in dividing relative-product-based super-class structures into actual kinterms.
Presents a first-hand ethnographic description of Tipai/Diegueno communities of northern Baja California during the late 1940s, with information on tribes and clans, settlements, subsistence, material culture, social life, government, religious beliefs and practices, and healing. This work is of interest as a compendium of ethnographic data and as a primary historical source regarding the creation of knowledge in American cultural anthropology. Includes a separate bandw map. Hohenthal taught anthropology at San Francisco State University. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR
This essay presents Gould?s distinctive system for analyzing kin terminologies showing the system?s power, importance, and usefulness - and showing its relationship to other approaches and the payoffs each aims at. In revealing significant new empirical regularities and simplifications, Gould?s analytic system implies important constraints on future analytic and interpretative approaches to kin terminologies. Some of these new insights involve the demonstration of the effect of distributed collective cognitive systems over and above the effects of repeated iterations of individual cognitive constraints or pressures. It is the peculiar nature of the kinterm domain that allows these findings to be so directly shown, but the implication is that these findings apply more generally to the collective cognitive systems that make up language and culture.
A particular culture is associated with a particular community, and thus has a social dimension. But how does culture operate and how is it to be defined? Is it to be taken as the behavioral repertoire of members of that community, as the products of their behavior, or as the shared mental content that produces the behavior? Is it to be viewed as a coherent whole or only a collection of disparate parts? Culture is shared, but how totally? How is culture learned and maintained over time, and how does it change? In Meaning and Significance in Human Engagement, Kronenfeld adopts a cognitive approach to culture to offer answers to these questions. Combining insights from cognitive psychology and linguistic anthropology with research on collective knowledge systems, he offers an understanding of culture as a phenomenon produced and shaped by a combination of conditions, constraints and logic. Engagingly written, it is essential reading for scholars and graduate students of cognitive anthropology, linguistic anthropology, sociology of culture, philosophy, and computational cognitive science.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
The myth of Bigfoot has captured the popular imagination since the creature's first public debut in 1958—numerous citations of 'evidence,' newspaper articles, books, hysterical personal accounts, and even Hollywood movies illustrate the American public's enduring romance with the Sasquatch. The scientific community on the whole, however, has stubbornly refused to comment on what it views as a very tall tale, though Bigfoot's existence continues to be hotly argued between proponents of the beast and its skeptics. Now, biological anthropologist and primate physiology specialist David J. Daegling enters the fray to offer both sides of the dispute benefit of objective scientific study. A well-crafted read, Bigfoot Exposed will prove to be as much a model of scientific method for anthropologists and researchers as it is an engaging and persuasive debunking of the myth of Bigfoot.
Organizational or corporate ‘culture’ is the most overused and least understood word in business, if not society. While the topic has been an object of keen academic interest for nearly half a century, theorists and practitioners still struggle with the most basic questions: What is organizational culture? Can it be measured? Is it a dependent or independent variable? Is it causal in organizational performance, and, if so, how? Paradoxically, managers and practitioners ascribe cultural explanations for much of what constitutes organizational behavior in organizations, and, moreover, believe culture can be engineered to their own designs for positive business outcomes. What explains this divide between research and practice? While much academic research on culture is challenged by ontological, epistemic and ethical difficulties, there is little empirical evidence to show culture can be deliberately shaped beyond espoused values. The gap between research and practice can be explained by one simple reason: the science and practice of culture has yet to catch up to managerial intuition.Managers are correct in suspecting culture is a powerful normative force, but, until now, current theory and research is not able to adequately account for cultural behavior in organizations. Rethinking Culture describes and presents evidence for a new framework of organizational culture based on the cognitive science of the so-called cultural mind. It will be of relevance to academics and researchers with an interest in business and management, organizational culture, and organizational change, as well as cognitive and cultural anthropologists and sociologists interested in applications of theory in organizational and institutional settings.
For most native speakers of English, the meanings of ordinary words like "blue," "cup," "stumble," and "carve" seem quite natural and self-evident. It turns out, however, that they are far from universal, as shown by recent research in the discipline known as semantic typology. To be sure, the roughly 6,500 languages around the world do have many similarities in the sorts of concepts they encode. But they also vary greatly in numerous ways, such as how they partition particular conceptual domains, how they map those domains onto syntactic categories, which distinctions they force speakers to habitually attend to, and how deeply they weave certain notions into the fabric of their grammar. Although these insights from semantic typology have had a major impact on the field of psycholinguistics, they have been mostly neglected by the branch of cognitive neuroscience that studies how concepts are represented, organized, and processed in our brains. In Concepts in the Brain, David Kemmerer exposes this oversight and demonstrates its significance. He argues that as research on the neural substrates of semantic knowledge moves forward, it should, to the extent possible, expand its purview to embrace the broad spectrum of cross-linguistic variation in the lexical and grammatical representation of meaning. Otherwise, it will never be able to achieve a truly comprehensive, pan-human account of the cortical underpinnings of concepts. Richly illustrated and written in an accessible interdisciplinary style, the book begins by elaborating the different perspectives on concepts that currently exist in the parallel fields of semantic typology and cognitive neuroscience. It then shows how a synthesis of these approaches can lead to a more unified and inclusive understanding of several domains of concrete meaning--specifically, objects, actions, and spatial relations. Finally, it explores a number of intriguing and controversial issues involving the interplay between language, cognition, and consciousness.
This acclaimed text promotes healthy aging by demonstrating how health practitioners, program developers, and policymakers can prevent or manage disease and make large-scale improvements toward health and wellness in the older adult population. The eighth edition encompasses major new research that substantially updates previous recommendations. It provides important new content on Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and the ACA; clinical preventive services; global aging; sexual health; saving for retirement; long-term care alternatives; and much more. Accessible and comprehensive, this text is supported by abundant tables, figures, and illustrations. It describes practical strategies—including model community and government initiatives—that have proven markedly successful, as well as health-promotion tools, resource lists, assessment tools, and checklists. New trends such as green burials, LGBT aging, yoga, and dancing exercise regimens are also covered. Additionally, each chapter features key terms, learning objectives, summary, and thought-provoking questions. An improved instructor package includes upgraded PowerPoints, a new test bank, sample syllabi, chapter summaries, discussion questions, chapter exams, and more. Purchase includes access to the ebook for use on most mobile devices or computers. New to the Eighth Edition: Updated research findings, demographics, figures, and statistics regarding health/social/medicaltrends/exercise/weight management New content on global aging, sexual health, and substance abuse New information on medical screening recommendations, cancer treatments, complementary and alternative medicine, and more New findings regarding mental health and older adults Significant updates to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the ACA Expanded section on global health and older adults Upgraded instructor support package Key Features: Provides an interdisciplinary view of how practitioners, program developers, and policymakers can improve health and wellness in older adults Describes successful community and government model programs and initiatives Delivers health-promoting tools, resource lists, checklists, and assessment tools Offers key terms, learning objectives, critical-thinking questions and reflection boxes Includes a robust instructor package
Strategic management relies on an array of complex methods drawn from various allied disciplines to examine how managers attempt to lead their firms toward success. This book discusses about key methodology issues in the strategic management field.
The seventh edition of this classic text champions healthy aging by demonstrating how to prevent or manage disease and make large-scale improvements toward health and wellness in the older adult population. The text synthesizes state-of-the-art research findings—providing convincing evidence that health promotion truly works—with practical, effective strategies. Encompassing important research results that supplant prior recommendations, this new edition provides updated best practices and strategies to ensure the active participation of older adults in all aspects of life. Completely reorganized for ease of use, this textbook features updated demographics and rankings for leading causes of death, new blood pressure screening guidelines and data on obesity and diabetes, updated exercise regimens, older-driver statistics and innovations such as the driverless car, cautions regarding ineffective brain-training programs, and more. Highly practical, the text includes health-promoting tools, resource lists, assessment tools, illustrations, checklists, and tables. Additionally, the book includes key terms and learning objectives at the start of each chapter, along with thought-provoking questions and reflection boxes. An Instructor’s Manual and PowerPoint slides are available to facilitate teaching. New to the Seventh Edition: Provides updated blood pressure, cholesterol, Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), and lung cancer screening guidelines Presents updates on exercise regimens ranging from yoga to the tango Expands and updates section on emotional regulation and conflict resolution skills with aging Discusses Boomer Entrepreneurism Provides new policy recommendations including student loan debt among older adults Expands gerotechnology and smart home innovations Updates on “Obamacare” and health care delivery recommendations Addresses “Buyer Beware” regarding brain-training programs Expands global aging and LGBT aging content
WE'VE ALL SEEN THE HEADLINES: The Pill That Can Prevent Cancer! A Guaranteed Way To Avoid Alzheimer's Disease! The Food That Lowers Bad Cholesterol! BUT WHAT SHOULD WE BELIEVE? ONCE UPON A TIME, maintaining your health seemed relatively simple. But today we're barraged by a never-ending array of conflicting medical advice. It's all terribly confusing, and most of us aren't sure what news we can trust and what we can ignore. Doctor Chopra Says offers a solution that will help you make the right decisions for your health. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Sanjiv Chopra teams up with renowned cardiologist Dr. Alan Lotvin to give you the most cutting-edge medical research available. Doctor Chopra Says explains how you can tell the difference between true medical news and irrelevant media hype, covering such vital topics as: · Is wine the best medicine? · Which cancer screening methods are effective? · Is there a "best" diet for you? · What one vitamin should everyone be taking? (And why you can throw away all the rest.) · Are statins the new miracle drug? Filled with authoritative advice from many of the top medical experts in their respective fields, Doctor Chopra Says gives you the tools you need to lead a healthier, happier, and longer life. The media MYTHS, the medical FACTS, and health ESSENTIALS revealed . . . MYTH: Megadoses of vitamin E might stave off some cancers, Alzheimer's Disease, macular degeneration, and other serious health problems. FACT: Taken regularly over a long period of time, vitamin E supplements of more than 450 mg can be extremely dangerous. MYTH: Drinking too much coffee has been linked to health problems, including heart attacks, birth defects, pancreatic cancer, osteoporosis, and miscarriages. FACT: People who drink coffee have significantly reduced their chance of developing liver cancer. MYTH: Vaccines may cause extremely serious health problems, including autism. FACT: There is absolutely no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism. MYTH: People can get enough vitamin D3 from exposure to the sun for fifteen minutes a day. FACT: During the winter, people living north of about 35o latitude cannot get the necessary UV light from the sun.
Over multiple successful editions, this distinctive text puts day-to-day life under the microscope of sociological analysis, providing an engaging treatment of situations and interactions that are resonant with readers’ daily experiences. Clearly written and well-researched, it reveals the underlying patterns and order of everyday life, employing both seminal classical works and contemporary analyses that define and embrace the theories and methods of symbolic interactionism. The latest edition provides fresh insights into patterns of behavior across a wide range of settings and circumstances, connecting our individual “selves” to such issues as the effects of power differentials on social situations, changing definitions of intimacy, varied experiences of aging and the life course, and the ongoing search for meaning. Boxed inserts highlight topics of related interest, while thought-provoking discussion questions encourage readers to apply chapter content to their daily experiences.
The most familiar assertion of Shakespeare scholarship is that he is our contemporary. Shakespeare After Theory provocatively argues that he is not, but what value he has for us must at least begin with a recognition of his distance from us.
This volume describes, explains and exposes the growth of poverty the world over. It reveals the shocking extent of poverty, the forms it takes, and its results and probes the origins of poverty in attitudes and ideologies, norms and structures.
Providing a general overview of fundamental theoretical and methodological topics, with coverage in greater depth of selected issues, the text covers various issues in basic network concepts, data collection and network analytical methodology.
Research in cognitive science over the last 30 years shows much of what we know about culture in the business world is based on myth, wishful thinking, outdated science, or is just plain wrong. This is why culture-shaping and change programs in organizations often amount to little more than sloganeering with minimal impact on the lived experience of employees. This book bridges the gap between the latest research on cognitive science and culture, providing a valuable guide for change leaders, CEOs, and practitioners on how to sustainably work with and change this important resource. It answers many of the major questions that have plagued culture work, such as: Why so many CEOs and management consultants preach culture change when so few culture interventions actually succeed Why CEOs persist in believing "culture starts at the top" when virtually no research in anthropology supports that claim Why most culture shaping approaches have no answer for how to affect culture in global companies Why culture doesn’t cause us to do anything, yet we persist in believing that somehow it does Why so many culture-shaping projects focus on corporate values despite the fact modern science shows why changing personal values is exceedingly difficult What we are learning about culture from the last 30 years of cognitive science gives us the foundation for far more impactful and sustainable interventions than have been possible to date. This book explains why, showing how everyday business practices well beyond HR are key to culture change. Why? Because the brain’s synaptic plasticity can only be altered through new sustained and widespread organizational habits and routines. This groundbreaking, practical guide will show you finally how to realize the full power of culture as a transformational, empowering, and competitive resource.
This book focuses on practical tools for making optimal use of available data to assess epidemiologic study findings. Includes: selection bias, confounding, measurement and classification of disease and exposure, random error and integration of evidence across studies.
An Outline of Sociology as Applied to Medicine, Third Edition provides an understanding of the origins, nature, and context of illness in society. This book discusses the relationship between health care and the society in which it occurs. Organized into 15 chapters, this edition begins with an overview of some deficiencies of the biomedical model of illness. This text then explores the traditional medical model, which holds that disease is a lesion inside the human body that produces two types of indicator of its presence, namely, the signs and symptoms. Other chapters consider the difference of perspectives between doctor and patients. This book discusses as well the presence of various biological causes of illness that is strongly influenced by social factors. The final chapter deals with the social significance of medicine. This book is a valuable resource for sociologists. Primary care physicians and specialists will also find this book extremely useful.
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