Human Motives and Cultural Models [Paperback]

Why do people do what they do? The authors attempt to show how shared cultural knowledge comes to motivate, or fail to motivate, individuals.Developed from research in cognitive anthropology on cultural models, through which human realities are constructed and interpreted, this study of human motivation also draws upon developmental psychology, and psychoanalytic and social theory.Developed from research in cognitive anthropology on cultural models, through which human realities are constructed and interpreted, this study of human motivation also draws upon developmental psychology, and psychoanalytic and social theory.A full understanding of human action requires an understanding of what motivates people to do what they do. For too many years studies of motivation have drawn from different theoretical paradigms. Typically, human motivation has been modeled on animal behavior, while culture has been described as pure knowledge or symbol. The result has been insufficient appreciation of the role of culture in human motivation and a truncated view of culture as disembodied knowledge. The anthropologists in this volume have attempted a different approach, seeking to integrate knowledge, desire, and action into a single explanatory framework. This research builds on recent work in cognitive anthropology on cultural models.List of illustrations; Preface; 1. Models and motives Claudia Strauss; Part I. Cultural Models as Motives: 2. Schemas and motivation Roy G. D'Andrade; 3. Ghost busters in anthropology Richard A. Shweder; Part II. How Do Cultural Models Become Motives?: 4. How cultural systems become desire: a case study of American romance Dorothy C. Holland; 5. The motivational force of self-understanding: evidence from wives' inner conflicts Naomi Quinn; 6. The directive force of morality tales in a Mexican community Holly F. Mathews; 7. Learning to be an American parent: how cultural models gain directive force Sara Harkness, Charles M. Super and Constance H. Keeflc0