Article,
Enculturing brains through patterned practices
Neural Networks, 23 (8-9): 1051--1059 (2010)
Abstract
Recent findings in neuroscience have shown differential patterns in brain activity in response to similar
stimuli and activities across cultural and social differences. This calls for a framework to understand how
such differences may come to be implemented in brains and neurons. Based on strands of research in
social anthropology, we argue that human practices are characterized by particular patterns, and that
participating in these patterns orders how people perceive and act in particular group- and contextspecific
ways. This then leads to a particular patterning of neuronal processes that may be detected using
e.g. brain imaging methods. We illustrate this through (a) a classical example of phoneme perception
(b) recent work on performance in experimental game play. We then discuss these findings in the
light of predictive models of brain function. We argue that a ‘culture as patterned practices’ approach
obviates a rigid nature-culture distinction, avoids the problems involved in conceptualizing ‘culture’ as a
homogenous grouping variable, and suggests that participating as a competent participant in particular
practices may affect both the subjective (first person) experience and (third person) objective measures
of behavior and brain activity.
