Category Archives: Anthropology

Storytelling, Cultural Transmission and Architecture

Posted on December 19, 2009 by Paul Goss

Storytelling has a great value among societies as a method of cultural transmission and social learning. I have recently reread an anthropology article entitled Cross-Cultural Comparison of Learning in Human Hunting. The goal of the article was to examine the … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Social Norms, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Architecture and Anthropology in The House of Mirth

Posted on December 18, 2009 by Paul Goss

This fall I read The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton on the recommendation of a former professor. It is a tale of a young woman in New York’s high society in the early 1900s and follows her social rise … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Architecture, Literature, Social Norms | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fictional Truths

Posted on December 12, 2009 by Paul Goss

In the same storytelling vein of yesterday’s post, I have been reminded of the idea that fiction can be effectively used to illuminate truth. While reading some of Hunter S. Thompson’s writings, particularly reflections on his infamous style called Gonzo … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Architecture, Narrative, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Social Intelligence and Storytelling

Posted on December 11, 2009 by Paul Goss

I recently finished reading 1,001 Arabian Nights, a book I was interested to read after recalling some of my anthropology lectures. In 1,001 Arabian Nights, an Arabian king named Sharyar discovers his wife has been unfaithful to him. After years … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Architecture, Social Norms, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Architecture for People

Posted on December 10, 2009 by Paul Goss

This article, Design Through Anthropology, published on worldarchitecturenews.com is about a long time trend in Denmark to consider the end user when designing, whether designing a cabinet, chair, home or office building. The article points out that for centuries the … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Architecture | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Viral Influence of Social Networks

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Paul Goss

This article, The Buddy System: How Medical Data Revealed Secret to Health and Happiness, was published in Wired magazine in September 2009. Two researchers began to pour over decades of health information found about the population of Framingham, MA. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Architecture, Built Environment, Social Norms | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Ayn Rand’s Anthropological Insights

Posted on December 7, 2009 by Paul Goss

In the introduction to her seminal work The Fountainhead, Rand comments that in her opinion the greatest failing of man is the loss of the spirit of youth, of giving up. She writes: “Then all of these [men] vanish into … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Architecture, Literature | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments