Question: What is the role that memory may play in a cognitive anthropological understanding of "culture" and

cultural transmission? 

Answer:

Introduction: From the article of Pascal Boyer, James V. Wertsch-Memory in Mind and Culture-Cambridge
University Press (2009) (dragged) I came to learn that in the cognitive anthropological theory of “culture” and
cultural transmission “memory” plays a great role. After birth of any human he/she collects information from
surroundings and enriches his/her memory and formulates the criteria of his/her culture, thus the “culture”
transmits from generation to generation.

Cognitive Anthropology: Cognitive Anthropology is the approach of Anthropology where the forms of shared
knowledge of people is interpreted with importance. Cognitive Anthropology discussed what the various
groups of people know, what they think subconsciously and how that implicit knowledge.

Main aspects of Cognitive Anthropology: In the theory of Cognitive Anthropology it is assumed that memory
shapes the Culture. And the memory of human groups also defends on some aspects like religious concepts,
gods and moralities, ritualized behavior of in groups and individuals, essentialised social categories literacy and
memory in religion, etc.

Role of memory in Cultural Transmission: There are two role of memory in cultural transmission. One, people
always recall any particular words, situation and gesture when any input is given to him. Second, people build
group-specific norms and concepts by interpretation. These interpretations are called cognitive dispositions of culture.

How Cognitive Anthropology understands "culture": In cognitive Anthropology the thoughts and knowledge
of any group is considered to define the Culture of that group.