Neuro-anthropology?

[uhs0403 at ohsu.edu]

>>
>> > I'm thinking of entering the field of neuroscience with a
>> > slight twist...  I'd like to explore ways in which physiological
>> > psychology might be able to shed light on social phenomena (hence,
>> > my posting to sci.anthropology rather than bionet.neuroscience).
>> > Has this sort of approach been tried, and, if so, can anyone provide
>>
>> > some good references?
>>

There is a literature in what is called cognitive anthropology. The take here 
is to examine cognitive function, say navigation, and see how it is 
implemented in a social system, like the crew of a ship. The thinking here is 
that social systems can at least be viewed as computational systems where each 
individual is a functional unit of the system. In addition the field utilizes 
anthropological methods of field observation, rather than experiment. Guy by 
the name of Hutchinson has written the better studies.