The Sociocultural Brain

Abstract

Is the human brain shaped by our sociocultural experiences, and if so, how? What are the neural correlates of cultural diversity of human behavior? Do genes interact with sociocultural experiences to moderate human brain functional organization and behavior? The Sociocultural Brain examines the relationship between human sociocultural experience and brain functional organization. It introduces brain imaging studies that identify neural correlates of culturally familiar gesture, music, brand, and more. It reviews cultural neuroscience findings of cross-cultural differences in human brain activity underlying multiple cognitive and affective processes (e.g., visual perception and attention, memory, causal attribution, inference of others’ mental states, self-reflection, and empathy). Further, it reviews studies that integrate brain imaging and cultural priming to explore a causal relationship between culture and brain functional organization. It also examines empirical findings of genetic influences on the coupling between brain activity and cultural values. The book aims to provide a new perspective on human brain functional organization by highlighting the role of human sociocultural experience and its interaction with genes in shaping the human brain and our behavior. Finally, the book discusses the implications of cultural neuroscience findings for understanding the nature of the human brain and culture, as well as implications for education, cross-cultural communication and conflict, and clinical treatment of mental disorders.