The essay demonstrates the literary argument based on “West Brain, East Brain” by Sharon Begley. Sharon Begley was recognized as one of her generation’s greatest science writers, capable of making even the most complicated scientific subjects both engaging and approachable (Seelye). The article “West Brain, East Brain” was published in 2010 by Newsweek LLC, and it starts with the thesis “What a difference culture makes” (Begley 22). For instance, Begley emphasizes that scientists have been astonished by how profoundly culture changes the brain, the language people speak, and the beliefs they absorb, and are questioning conclusions gained from studies of Westerners (22). Hence, Begley introduces the thesis that the brain structure is significantly connected to the culture.
Language is an essential indication of a uniquely human ability shared by species. The propensity to learn a language is most likely a significant adaption of the human brain. Cultural neuroscience has been proposed to make a connection between the study of the brain and culture (Launay 5). Begley acknowledges that a region behind the forehead known as the medial prefrontal cortex is thought to reflect the self; research found that it is active when Americans consider their own identity and qualities (22). Nonetheless, the outcomes with Chinese participants were drastically different; the ‘me’ circuit resonated not just when they pondered if a specific descriptor represented them but also when they examined whether it characterized their mother (Begley 22). The goal of the discipline, which is termed cultural neuroscience, is to find such distinctions. Begley acknowledged that according to his research, different brain areas were recruited by Asian-Americans and non-Asian-Americans (22). The Asians were more active in the regions that analyze figure-ground interactions, whereas the Americans were more active in areas that detect objects.
Therefore, Begley claims that cultural differences result in distinctive thinking and behavior. An interesting idea in his article is that “culture shapes the brain, not vice versa” (Begley 22). A 2006 research, for instance, discovered that native Chinese speakers utilize a distinct part of the brain to execute elementary mathematics or determine which number is more significant than native English speakers, even though both are using Arabic numerals (Begley 22). Additionally, the Chinese employ circuits that evaluate visual and spatial information and plan motions; English speakers, on the other hand, utilize language circuits. Launay explains how the brain and culture impact each other in mutual ways. Studies on brain plasticity show that the structure and function of the brain may change as a result of environmental stimuli (Launay 4). Nonetheless, cultural learning happens typically through a succession of predictable behaviors learned from both parents and others. Humans’ heightened sensitivity to social cues and engagement makes them more susceptible to acquiring culturally established habits (Launay 4). Thus, culture plays an essential role in brain formulation.
Begley concludes after presenting his findings that it is critical to push the research to the level of the brain, mainly when it demonstrates the profundity of cultural differences. My interpretation of this article’s point of view and thesis is that studies of the brain and culture must be considered in order to comprehend human behavior. Culture remarkably shapes the way people perceive the world; therefore, a better understanding of culture will result in a better sense of community and their ways of living. The crucial goal of cultural neuroscience is to define and explain the connection between the brain and culture.
Works Cited
Begley, Sharon. “West Brain, East Brain.” Newsweek, vol. 155, no. 09, 2010, p. 22. Gale College Collection, Web.
Launay, Jacques. “Brain and Culture.” The International Encyclopedia of Anthropology, 2018, pp. 1-9.
Seelye, Katharine Q. “Sharon Begley, a Top Science Journalist, Is Dead at 64.” The New York Times, 2021, Web.