Culture and cognition: The Durkheimian principle of sui generis synthesis vs. cognitive-based models of culture

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  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 1. Advancing Sociological Foundations – A

Abstract

Recent initiatives in the sociology of culture and cognition, represented by the works of Omar Lizardo, John Levi Martin, Stephen Vaisey and others, are some of the most intriguing developments in contemporary sociological theory and cultural sociology. Aiming at the progress in cultural analysis, these initiatives at the same time include substantial criticism of basic statements of cultural theory. I argue that, for the mutual benefits of cultural sociology and cognitive science, first, cultural sociology must take seriously the recent developments of cultural cognitive sociologists — and thus to avoid the threat of the neglect of these important impetuses; and, second, — to overcome counterproductive one-sided reshaping cultural concepts led by ideas about cognition — and thus to avoid prospective nullification of the most of the developments of cultural theory. To solve the former task, this paper aims to contribute to recognizing these initiatives as an important challenge for cultural sociology to be addressed in a strategic way. To solve the latter task, I propose an ideal-typical model, which embraces those underlying premises of the cultural turn, which fundamentally oppose to cultural concepts — ‘the informational theory of communication,’ which reduces culture to information. Although many cognitive scientists and sociologists of culture and cognition are aware of the limitations and counter-productivity of this model, I argue, that, first, it is still clearly traceable in many of their arguments, and, second, it can be seen as a cultural logic underlying substantial part of their arguments. I argue, that replacing this logic with Durkheimian model of sui generis synthesis not only allows to use the insights of cognitive science in sociology in a more productive way, but also opens a way for sociology to contribute to the cognitive sciences.

Author

• Dmitry Kurakin, National Research University Higher School of Economics