The evolution of the shaman's cultural toolkit.
Aiyana K Willard, Yo Nakawake, Jonathan Jong
Behavioral and Brain Sciences January 2018 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x17002205 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that professionalization of shamanism concentrates knowledge in fewer individuals, which could impede the accumulation of functional knowledge and lead to further changes or collapse of the domain. |
Abstract
A complete picture of shamanism's cultural evolution requires an understanding of how the professionalization of shamanism affects the distribution of knowledge within societies. We suggest that limiting knowledge to fewer people could impede the accumulation of functional knowledge within shamanism. On this basis, we make further predictions about how the domain of shamanism could change and collapse.