Abstract: The idea of nonhuman animal cultures has gained strength and support in recent years, culminating, as editors Kevin N. Laland and Bennett G. Galef put it, in “the recent spate of articles in prominent scientific journals, newspapers, and news magazines that argue that differences in the behavioral repertoires of animals living in different locales provide evidence that they, like humans, are cultural beings” (1). This complex, emergent field of nonhuman social studies spans several disciplines, including primatology, behavioral ecology, psychology, and (to a lesser extent) anthropology, each with their own methodological and philosophical concerns and biases. This volume is a much-needed overview of what some consider to be, as W.C. McGrew puts it, “the controversial, value-laden use of the ‘c’ word” (127). Each chapter is written by a major voice in this debate, responding to a set of framing questions, including “What is the most useful way to conceptualize culture?” and “Which animals, if any, exhibit culture?” While several authors advocate the idea or actuality of nonhuman culture without any or many qualifications, several do not.
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 97
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