Re: [xmca] Cultural Psychology in the NYTimes.com

[Tony Whitson <twhitson@UDel.Edu>]

I read a book once with the title "Cultural Psychology: The Once and 
Future Discipline" (or something like that). The New York Times article 
does not remind me of that book.

Here's just a couple clippings:

"'Children are altruistic by nature,' he writes, and though they are also 
naturally selfish, all parents need do is try to tip the balance toward 
social behavior.

"The shared intentionality lies at the basis of human society, Dr. 
Tomasello argues. From it flow ideas of norms, of punishing those who 
violate the norms and of shame and guilt for punishing oneself. Shared 
intentionality evolved very early in the human lineage, he believes, and 
its probable purpose was for cooperation in gathering food. 
Anthropologists report that when men cooperate in hunting, they can take 
down large game, which single hunters generally cannot do. Chimpanzees 
gather to hunt colobus monkeys, but Dr. Tomasello argues this is far less 
of a cooperative endeavor because the participants act on an ad hoc basis 
and do not really share their catch."

and

 "'We're preprogrammed to reach out,' Dr. de Waal writes. 'Empathy is an 
automated response over which we have limited control.' The only people 
emotionally immune to another's situation, he notes, are psychopaths.

Indeed, it is in our biological nature, not our political institutions, 
that we should put our trust, in his view. Our empathy is innate and 
cannot be changed or long suppressed. 'In fact,' Dr. de Waal writes, 'I'd 
argue that biology constitutes our greatest hope. One can only shudder at 
the thought that the humaneness of our societies would depend on the whims 
of politics, culture or religion.'"

On Sat, 5 Dec 2009, David Preiss wrote:

> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/science/01human.html
>
>
>
> David Preiss
> ddpreiss@me.com
> Info Académica: http://web.mac.com/ddpreiss/
> Info Literaria: http://web.me.com/ddpreiss/Site_2/
>
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Tony Whitson
UD School of Education
NEWARK  DE  19716

twhitson@udel.edu
_______________________________

"those who fail to reread
 are obliged to read the same story everywhere"
                  -- Roland Barthes, S/Z (1970)

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