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Cited by 17Cultural Differences and ValuesSocial Representations and IdentityContemporary Sociological Theory and Practice

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Culture beneath discourse: a conceptual model for analyzing nondeclarative cultural knowledge

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Rotolo, Michael·2022·American Journal of Cultural Sociology
DOI 10.1057/s41290-021-00135-0

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Abstract

Sociology has increasingly drawn on concepts from the cognitive sciences to better theorize and measure culture, particularly nondeclarative personal culture beneath the level of conscious awareness. Despite several advances, these “cognitive cultural” concepts are drawn on selectively, and limited work has attempted to assemble them into a coherent framework, leading to conceptual murkiness and ambiguous use of terms like “schema.” This article synthesizes literature on culture and cognition to develop a conceptual model of four interrelated but distinct types of cultural knowledge beneath the level of explicit discourse. Drawing on emergence theories, the author theorizes how these types relate to each other, as well as to discourse and public culture. The utility of the model is then illustrated using the empirical case of American religious understandings. These types of cultural knowledge have distinct qualities and, consequently, distinct roles in influencing thought, speech, and action. Assembling them into a coherent framework can improve scholarly accounts of how culture influences important substantive outcomes, how culture and cognition interact, as well as methods for studying nondeclarative cultural knowledge.

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Metadata

Authors
Rotolo, M.
Affiliations
University of Notre Dame (US)
Corresponding author
Rotolo, Michael
ORCID
Rotolo, Michael
Venue
American Journal of Cultural Sociology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-06-11
Volume
10
Issue
3
Pages
432-460
ISSN
  • 2049-7113 (ISSN-L)
  • 2049-7121
DOI
10.1057/s41290-021-00135-0
OpenAlex
W3169657878
Cited by
17
References
134
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 3
FWCI
3.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • American Journal of Cultural Sociology (publishedVersion)
  • SocArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
  • OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
  • SocArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Cultural Differences and Values
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Representations and Identity
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice
Keywords
schemas, conceptual model, emergence, culture and cognition, public culture, religious understanding, American religion

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Rotolo, M. (2022). Culture beneath discourse: a conceptual model for analyzing nondeclarative cultural knowledge. American Journal of Cultural Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41290-021-00135-0