3/17/2017 CulturallearningWikipedia

Culturallearning
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Culturallearning,alsocalledculturaltransmission,isthewayagroupofpeopleoranimalswithinasocietyor
culturetendtolearnandpassoninformation.Learningstylesaregreatlyinfluencedbyhowaculturesocializes
withitschildrenandyoungpeople.Crossculturalresearchinthepastfiftyyearshasprimarilyfocusedon
differencesbetweenEasternandWesterncultures(Chang,etal.,2010).Somescholarsbelievethatcultural
learningdifferencesmayberesponsestothephysicalenvironmentintheareasinwhichaculturewasinitially
founded(Chang,etal.,2010).Theseenvironmentaldifferencesincludeclimate,migrationpatterns,war,
agriculturalsuitability,andendemicpathogens.Culturalevolution,uponwhichculturallearningisbuilt,is
believedtobeaproductofonlythepast10,000yearsandtoholdlittleconnectiontogenetics(Chang,etal.,2010).

Culturallearningallowsindividualstoacquireskillsthattheywouldbeunabletoindependentlyoverthecourseof
theirlifetimes(VanSchaik&Burkart,2011).Culturallearningisbelievedtobeparticularlyimportantforhumans.
Humansareweanedatanearlyagecomparedtotheemergenceofadultdentition(MacDonald,2007).The
immaturityofdentitionandthedigestivesystem,thetimerequiredforgrowthofthebrain,therapidskeletory
growthneededfortheyoungtoreachadultheightandstrengthmeansthatchildrenhavespecialdigestiveneeds
andaredependentonadultsforalongperiodoftime(MacDonald,2007).Thistimeofdependencealsoallows
timeforculturallearningtooccurbeforepassageintoadulthood.

Onthebasisofculturallearning,peoplecreate,remember,anddealwithideas.Theyunderstandandapplyspecific
systemsofsymbolicmeaning.Cultureshavebeencomparedtosetsofcontrolmechanisms,plans,recipes,rules,or
instructions.Culturaldifferenceshavebeenfoundinacademicmotivation,achievement,learningstyle,
conformity,andcompliance(Chang,etal.,2010).Culturallearningisdependentoninnovationortheabilityto
createnewresponsestotheenvironmentandtheabilitytocommunicateorimitatethebehaviorofothers
(Lehmann,Feldman&Kaeuffer,2010).Animalsthatareabletosolveproblemsandimitatethebehaviorofothers
arethereforeabletotransmitinformationacrossgenerations.

CassSunsteinrecentlydescribedhowWikipediamovesuspasttherigidlimitsofsocialistplanningthatFriedrich
Hayekattackedonthegroundsthat"noplannercouldpossiblyobtainthedispersedbitsofinformationheldby
individualmembersofsociety.Hayekinsistedthattheknowledgeofindividuals,takenasawhole,isfargreater
thanthatofanycommissionorboard,howeverdiligentandexpert."[1]

Innonhumananimals
Enculturationcanalsobeusedtodescribetheraisingofananimalinwhichtheanimalacquirestraitsandskills
thatwouldnototherwisebeacquiredthroughraisingbyanotheroftheirspecies(vanSchaikandJudithM.
Burkart,2011).

Culturallearningisdependentoninnovationortheabilitytocreatenewresponsestotheenvironmentandthe
abilitytocommunicateorimitatethebehaviorofothers(Lehmann,Feldman&Kaeuffer,2010).Animalsthatare
abletosolveproblemsandimitatethebehaviorofothersarethereforeabletotransmitinformationacross
generations.Awidevarietyofsocialanimalslearnfromothermembersoftheirgrouporpack.Wolves,for
example,learnmultiplehuntingstrategiesfromtheotherpackmembers.Alargenumberofbirdspeciesalso
engageinculturallearningsuchlearningiscriticalforthesurvivalofsomespecies.Dolphinsalsopasson
knowledgeabouttooluse.[2]

Humanculturallearningiscomparablebutitisoftenbelievedhumancapacityforabstractthoughtisunique.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_learning 1/2
3/17/2017 CulturallearningWikipedia

Seealso
Educationalanthropology
Interculturalcompetence
Interculturalcommunicationprinciples
Socialization
Dualinheritancetheory

References
Inline:

1.Sunstein,CassR.(24February2007)."ABraveNewWikiworld".WashingtonPost.
2.KrtzenM,MannJ,HeithausMR,ConnorRC,BejderL,SherwinWB(June2005)."Culturaltransmissionoftooluse
inbottlenosedolphins".Proc.Natl.Acad.Sci.U.S.A.102(25):893943.doi:10.1073/pnas.0500232102.PMC1157020
.PMID15947077.

General:

vanShaik,CarelP.&Burkart,JudithM.(2011)."Sociallearningandevolution:theculturalintelligence
hypothesis"(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3049085/).PhilosophicalTransactionsOfThe
RoyalSocietyB:BiologicalSciences,366(1567),10081016
Chang,LeiMak,MirandaC.K.Li,TongWu,BaoPeiChen,BinBin&Lu,HuiJing(2011)."Cultural
AdaptationstoEnvironmentalVariability:AnEvolutionaryAccountofEastWestDifferences"(http://www.
fed.cuhk.edu.hk/eps/people/changlei_doc/04.pdf)(PDF).EducationalPsychologyReview,23(1),99129.
doi:10.1007/s1064801091490
Lehmann,L.L.,Feldman,M.W.,&Kaeuffer,R.R.(2010)."Cumulativeculturaldynamicsandtheco
evolutionofculturalinnovationandtransmission:anESSmodelforpanmicticandstructuredpopulations".
JournalOfEvolutionaryBiology,23(11),23562369.doi:10.1111/j.14209101.2010.02096.x
MacDonald,K.(2007)."CrossculturalComparisonofLearninginHumanHunting"(http://link.springer.co
m/article/10.1007/s1211000790198/fulltext.html).HumanNature,18(4),386402.doi:10.1007/s12110
00790198
Conrad,Phillip(2005).WindowonHumanity:AConciseIntroductiontoAnthropology.NewYork:
McGrawHill.ISBN0072890282.

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