Teaching in hunter–gatherer infancy
A debate exists as to whether teaching is part of human nature and central to understanding culture or whether it is a recent invention of Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, Democratic cultures. Some social–cultural anthropologists and cultural psychologists indicate teaching is rare in small-scal...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
The Royal Society
2016-01-01
|
| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.150403 |
| _version_ | 1818259715871735808 |
|---|---|
| author | Barry S. Hewlett Casey J. Roulette |
| author_facet | Barry S. Hewlett Casey J. Roulette |
| author_sort | Barry S. Hewlett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A debate exists as to whether teaching is part of human nature and central to understanding culture or whether it is a recent invention of Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, Democratic cultures. Some social–cultural anthropologists and cultural psychologists indicate teaching is rare in small-scale cultures while cognitive psychologists and evolutionary biologists indicate it is universal and key to understanding human culture. This study addresses the following questions: Does teaching of infants exist in hunter–gatherers? If teaching occurs in infancy, what skills or knowledge is transmitted by this process, how often does it occur and who is teaching? The study focuses on late infancy because cognitive psychologists indicate that one form of teaching, called natural pedagogy, emerges at this age. Videotapes of Aka hunter–gatherer infants were used to evaluate whether or not teaching exists among Aka hunter–gatherers of central Africa. The study finds evidence of multiple forms of teaching, including natural pedagogy, that are used to enhance learning of a variety of skills and knowledge. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T18:19:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b7c94b5655584de5b234fe92b3cd4ef3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T18:19:51Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-b7c94b5655584de5b234fe92b3cd4ef32022-12-22T00:16:10ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032016-01-013110.1098/rsos.150403150403Teaching in hunter–gatherer infancyBarry S. HewlettCasey J. RouletteA debate exists as to whether teaching is part of human nature and central to understanding culture or whether it is a recent invention of Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, Democratic cultures. Some social–cultural anthropologists and cultural psychologists indicate teaching is rare in small-scale cultures while cognitive psychologists and evolutionary biologists indicate it is universal and key to understanding human culture. This study addresses the following questions: Does teaching of infants exist in hunter–gatherers? If teaching occurs in infancy, what skills or knowledge is transmitted by this process, how often does it occur and who is teaching? The study focuses on late infancy because cognitive psychologists indicate that one form of teaching, called natural pedagogy, emerges at this age. Videotapes of Aka hunter–gatherer infants were used to evaluate whether or not teaching exists among Aka hunter–gatherers of central Africa. The study finds evidence of multiple forms of teaching, including natural pedagogy, that are used to enhance learning of a variety of skills and knowledge.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.150403teachinghunter–gathererssocial learning |
| spellingShingle | Barry S. Hewlett Casey J. Roulette Teaching in hunter–gatherer infancy Royal Society Open Science teaching hunter–gatherers social learning |
| title | Teaching in hunter–gatherer infancy |
| title_full | Teaching in hunter–gatherer infancy |
| title_fullStr | Teaching in hunter–gatherer infancy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Teaching in hunter–gatherer infancy |
| title_short | Teaching in hunter–gatherer infancy |
| title_sort | teaching in hunter gatherer infancy |
| topic | teaching hunter–gatherers social learning |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.150403 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT barryshewlett teachinginhuntergathererinfancy AT caseyjroulette teachinginhuntergathererinfancy |