Penn Symposium on Tools, Beliefs, and Behaviors - May 10 & 11, 2021

Culture takes different forms, ranging from tangible objects like tools to less tangible behaviors and beliefs. When studying cultural phenomena, we therefore also encounter very disparate types of data. But how exactly do artifacts, mental states, and behaviors differ in cultural evolutionary terms? In particular, how are they learned differently, how do they vary in their cognitive bases, and what effects do these differences have on their innovation, spread, change, and extinction? In what ways do patterns across these phenomena differ, and to what extent does this reflect genuine differences in the phenomena themselves as opposed to different academic traditions and methods? The Penn Symposium on Tools, Beliefs, and Behaviors will bring together a diverse group of experts to address these questions, and it will serve as a focal point for researchers interested in the evolution of cultural or social phenomena.

 

You can find the program here.

Keynote Speakers

Monica Tamariz

Monica Tamariz

Heriot-Watt University

David Lahti

David Lahti

Queens College, City University of New York

Kristian Tylén

Kristian Tylén

Aarhus University

Elena Miu

Elena Miu

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Attendance and Registration

The symposium will take place entirely online. If you would like to attend, please click here to register. Registration is free, but required.